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1 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 

MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


SCENES  AND  INCIDENTS 


DOMESTIC 

AND 

FOREIGN    TRAVEL 

WITH 

gketct)e0  in  Natural  ^istorg, 

AND 

POETICAL  SELECTIONS. 


PHILADELPHIA : 
THOMAS  WARDLE,  CHESNUT  STREET. 


KING  AND  EAIRD,  PRINTERS,    9  GEORGE  STREET 


G.I70 
£>4 


CONTENTS. 


PERSONAL  NARRATIVES  AND  ADVENTURES,— 

Life  of  Christopher  Columbus,        ......  Page  9 

The  Pelew  Islanders, 62 

Ascent  of  Mont  Blanc,            .......  102 

Narrative  of  the  Picard  Family, 113 

Incident  in  the  Escape  of  Prince  Charles,           .        .  133 

Shipwreck  of  the  Blendenhall, 162 

Lavallette's  Escape  from  Prison, 197 

SingularPreservationofaParty  of  Shipwrecked  Seamen,  203 

Adventures  of  Two  Brothers  during  the  American  War,  253 

Adventure  of  Lewis  Wetzel, 289 

Adventure  on  the  Adige, 315 

Byron's  Narrative, 327 

SCENES  AND  INCIDENTS  OF  FOREIGN  TRAVEL,— 

The  Inundation  at  Pesth, 30 

Visit  to  a  Silver  Mine, 37 

Bear  Hunting  in  Sweden, 48 

The  City  of  Petra, 130 

The  Pampas  of  South  America, 149 

Hunting  Wild  Elephants, 155 

Hunting  the  Giraffe, 159 

Algiers, 171 

The  Camp  of  Abd-el-Kader, 175 

Misadventures  of  a  Caravan, 183 

The  Ruins  of  Copan, 186 

Visit  to  the  Volcano  of  Masaya, 189 

Overflow  of  the  Dranse, 215 

Pass  of  the  Gemmi, 220 

Dangers  of  Missionaries  in  South  Africa,        .        .        .  227 

Missionary  Station  in  Greenland, 230 

Moravian  Settlement  in  South  Africa,     ....  232 
Description  of  a  Whale-Chase, 24g 

W363520 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

A  Lisbon  Bull-Fight,   .......    Page  277 

Lion  Hunting  in  India, 284 

A  Buffalo  Hunt, .  300 

Ringing  the  Wild  Horse, 308 

Crocodile  Pits  of  Egypt, 320 

Earthquake  at  Zante, 323 

SKETCHES  IN  NATURAL  HISTORY,— 

Ants — their  Characteristics  and  Economy,      ...  52 

Rambles  of  a  Naturalist, 91 

The  Prairie  Wolves, 144 

The  Rattlesnake, 194 

The  Starling, 242 

Eagles  in  the  Hebrides, 295 

POETICAL  SELECTIONS,— 

Helvellyn, 45 

Burns, 47 

Industry, 61 

Loss  in  Delays, 62 

Hymn  to  the  Setting  Sun, 89 

An  Evening  Walk  in  Bengal, 99 

The  Ocean, 127 

Unknown  Isles, 129 

Loch  Katrine, 143 

The  Murdered  Traveller 153 

The  Orphan  Boy's  Tale, 169 

The  Destruction  of  Sennacherib,           ....  181 

Stirling  Castle, 182 

The  Course  of  Life, 201 

The  Iceberg, 213 

Waterloo, 224 

Night,           240 

The  Indian's  Tale, 271 

Ode  on  Visiting  Flodden, 274 

Rosabelle, 282 

The  Everlasting  Rose, 313 


THE  RECREATION. 


LIFE  OF  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS. 

This  celebrated  navigator  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Genoa,  about  the  year  1436.  His  parents  were  persons 
of  humble  station,  but  honest  and  industrious  ;  his  father 
following  the  occupation  of  a  wool-comber  in  that  city. 
Christopher  was  the  eldest  of  four  children, — a  sister 
and  two  brothers,  the  names  of  the  latter  being  Bar- 
tholomew and  Diego.  As  his  parents  were  poor,  they 
could  not  afford  him  an  extensive  education.  However, 
he  made  up  in  ardour  what  he  wanted  in  opportunity. 
He  was  sent  to  Pavia,  then  a  great  seat  of  learning  in 
Lombardy ;  but  the  short  time  that  he  remained  there 
was  barely  sufficient  to  give  him  the  rudiments  of  the 
necessary  sciences;  his  attention  having  been  princi- 
pally directed  to  those  necessary  to  fit  him  for  a  mari- 
time life.  And  it  was  at  this  period  that  he  first  evinced 
that  strong  inclination  for  the  sea,  which  forms  a  strik- 
ing feature  in  the  early  character  of  great  navigators. 

He  began  his  nautical  career  at  an  early  age.  He  is 
supposed  to  have  been  principally  engaged  in  the  Medi- 
terranean, sometimes  in  voyages  of  commerce,  some- 
times in  warlike  contests  between  the  Italian  states,  at 
other  times  in  expeditions  against  the  infidels.  Hear- 
2 


10  LIFE  OF  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS. 

ing  that  great  encouragement  was  given  in  Portugal  to 
enterprising  navigators,  Columbus  determined  to  go  to 
Lisbon,  and  arrived  there  about  the  year  1470. 

Columbus  had  not  long  been  in  Lisbon  when  he 
married  Donna  Felipa,  the  daughter  of  Bartolomeo 
Monis  de  Palestrello,  who  had  been  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  of  the  sea-captains  employed  by  Prince 
Henry  in  exploring  the  coast  of  Africa.  The  advantages 
which  resulted  to  him  from  this  alliance  were  peculiarly 
great;  from  his  wife's  mother,  he  obtained  possession 
of  all  the  charts  and  manuscripts  of  her  deceased 
husband,  together  with  all  such  information  concerning 
his  voyages  as  she  herself  could  supply.  Columbus 
thus  became  acquainted  with  the  plans  of  the  Portu- 
guese ;  and  the  knowledge  which  he  acquired  contributed 
not  a  little  to  stimulate  his  passion  for  maritime  enter- 
prise. He  made  occasional  voyages  to  the  coast  of 
Guinea,  employing  the  intervals  of  his  time  in  the  con- 
struction of  maps  and  charts.  The  income  he  derived 
from  this  source  was  small ;  yet  a  portion  of  it  was  set 
apart  for  the  education  of  his  younger  brothers,  and  the 
support  of  his  aged  father  at  Genoa.  He  resided,  too, 
for  some  time  at  the  island  of  Porto  Santo,  which  had 
been  colonized  and  governed  by  his  wife's  father ;  and 
there  his  son  Diego  was  born. 

All  this  while  the  active  and  energetic  mind  of  Co- 
lumbus was  engaged  in  his  favourite  pursuit;  and  as 
early  as  the  year  1474,  the  theory  to  which  we  owe 
the  discovery  of  America,  had  become  fixed  in  his  mind. 
The  ruling  passion  of  the  age  was  a  thirst  for  maritime 
discovery;  and  the  grand  object  of  navigators  was  the 
finding  of  a  route  by  sea  to  India, — the  land  of  gold 
and  precious  stones.  To  attain  it,  they  strove  to  sail 
towards  the  east ;  and  their  frequent  expeditions  along 
the  coast  of  Africa  were  undertaken  in  the  hope,  event- 


LIFE   OF  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS.  11 

ually  gratified,  of  rounding  its  southern  extremity,  and 
thus  penetrating  in  the  required  direction.  Columbus 
conceived  the  happy  idea,  that,  as  the  earth  was  a 
globe,  India  might  be  reached  by  sailing  to  the  west- 
ward. 

He  consulted  the  opinions  of  old  authors  and  travel- 
lers. He  also  made  inquiry  with  respect  to  all  the  in- 
dications of  land.  One  navigator,  when  four  hundred 
leagues  west  from  Cape  St.  Vincent,  had  taken  from 
the  water  a  piece  of  carved  wood,  which  evidently  had 
not  been  wrought  with  an  iron  instrument.  As  the 
winds  had  drifted  it  from  the  west,  it  might  have  come 
from  some  unknown  land  in  that  direction.  Pedro 
Correa,  his  brother-in-law,  told  him  that  after  a  course 
of  westerly  winds,  immense  reeds  were  seen  on  the 
island  of  Porto  Santo.  Also  pine-trees  were  wafted  to 
the  shores  of  the  Azores ;  and,  on  one  occasion,  the 
dead  bodies  of  two  men  were  cast  upon  the  Island  of 
Flores,  whose  features  differed  from  those  of  any  known 
race  of  people. 

Upon  grounds  such  as  these,  Columbus  firmly  believed 
in  the  practicability  of  finding  land  by  sailing  west. 
He  communicated  his  views  to  Paolo  Tuscanelli  of 
Florence,  one  of  the  most  learned  cosmographers  of  the 
time;  the  applause  which  the  latter  bestowed  upon  the 
design,  together  with  the  facts  and  arguments  with 
which  he  supported  its  practicability,  fixed  it  still  more 
firmly  in  the  mind  of  Columbus. 

The  accomplishment  of  his  grand  enterprise  required 
means  far  beyond  those  of  Columbus;  indeed,  he  re- 
garded it  as  fitting  to  be  undertaken  only  by  a  sove- 
reign state.  It  is  said  that  his  first  application  was 
made  to  his  native  republic,  but  he  was  unsuccessful 
in  this  as  well  as  in  his  application  to  King  John  of 
Portugal.     From  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1484,  when 


12  LIFE  OF  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS. 

Columbus  departed  with  his  son  from  Lisbon,  there 
occurs  an  interval  of  more  than  a  year,  during  which 
our  traces  of  his  history  are  very  slight.  It  is  agreed 
that  he  at  this  time  visited  his  aged  father,  and  made 
such  arrangements  for  his  comfort  as  his  poor  means 
afforded.  Having  thus  performed  the  duties  of  a  pious 
son,  he  determined  to  repair  to  the  court  of  Spain. 

At  what  time,  or  in  what  manner,  Columbus  entered 
Spain  is  unknown.  Our  first  notice  of  him  in  that 
kingdom,  represents  him  as  travelling  on  foot,  accom- 
panied by  his  youthful  son,  to  visit  a  brother-in-law  in 
the  town  of  Huelva,  and  stopping  on  the  way  at  the 
gate  of  the  convent  of  Santa  Maria  de  Rabida,  near  the 
sea-port  of  Palos  de  Moguer  in  Andalusia,  to  beg  a  lit- 
tle bread  and  water  for  his  child.  While  his  request 
was  being  complied  with,  the  guardian  or  superior  of 
the  convent,  Friar  Juan  Peres  de  Marchena,  passing 
by,  was  struck  with  his  appearance ;  and  entering  into 
conversation  with  him,  at  once  felt  a  lively  interest  in 
his  views.  He  accordingly  detained  Columbus  as  a 
guest,  and  sent  for  a  learned  friend,  Garcia  Fernandez, 
the  physician  of  Palos,  to  discuss  the  great  project. 
It  excited  the  admiration  of  both ;  several  conferences 
ensued;  additional  evidence  of  its  practicability  was 
obtained  from  experienced  mariners  of  Palos;  and 
eventually  it  was  arranged  that  Columbus  should  seek 
the  Spanish  court,  and  there  lay  open  his  proposals. 

The  sovereigns  of  Spain  at  that  time  were  Ferdi- 
nand II.,  King  of  Arragon,  and  Isabella,  Queen  of  Cas- 
tile, by  whose  marriage  the  power  of  the  Christians  in 
that  country  had  become  consolidated,  and  the  dominion 
of  the  Moors  confined  within  narrow  limits.  The  whole 
force  of  the  united  crowns  was  now  directed  towards 
the  final  expulsion  of  the  infidels  through  the  conquest 
of  Granada,  the  last  of  the  Moorish  kingdoms  in  Spain ; 


LIFE   OF  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS.  13 

and  everywhere  the  country  resounded  with  the  note  of 
preparation  for  the  approaching  campaign.  Such  a 
juncture  was  unfavourable  to  a  full  and  candid  consider- 
ation of  the  proposals  of  Columbus,  which,  even  in 
ordinary  times,  would  have  had  to  encounter  severe 
obstacles,  in  the  cold  and  suspicious  temperament  of 
King  Ferdinand,  in  the  apathy  which  the  nation  had 
evinced  for  maritime  discovery,  and  their  bigotry, 
which  had  a  darker  shade  than  that  of  the  age  in 
general . 

On  arriving  at  Cordova,  where  the  court  at  that  time 
was  residing,  he  found  it  difficult  to  obtain  a  hearing. 
This  he  at  length  accomplished  ;  but  it  was  long  before 
he  could  make  a  sufficient  impression  on  Ferdinand  or 
his  queen  in  order  to  second  his  views.  She  referred 
his  suit  to  a  body  of  learned  professors,  who  laughed  at 
his  project,  which  they  declared  to  be  irreligious  and 
impious.  Indeed,  his  plan  was  generally  ridiculed  by 
those  to  whom  he  spoke  concerning  it,  but  the  earnest 
sincerity  with  which  he  advanced  his  opinion  gradually 
gained  him  friends.  Alonzo  de  Quintanilla,  comptroller 
of  the  finances,  and  other  personages  of  importance 
about  the  court,  became  his  patrons,  and  warmly  sup- 
ported his  project.  It  would  be  painful  to  detail  the 
many  delays  and  disappointments  that  he  underwent. 
After  a  period  of  six  years,  and  when  on  the  point  of 
leaving  Spain,  he  at  length  obtained  a  favourable  hear- 
ing from  the  sovereigns. 

But  an  early  obstacle  arose  in  what  was  deemed  the 
exorbitant  nature  of  his  demands  ;  his  principal  stipu- 
lation being,  that  he  should  be  appointed  admiral  and 
viceroy  in  all  the  lands  which  he  should  discover,  and 
receive  one-tenth  of  all  gains  arising  therefrom.  When 
it  was  objected  that  in  case  of  failure  he  would  lose 
nothing,  he  offered   to  advance  one-eighth  of  the  sum 


14  LIFE    OF    CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS. 

required  for  the  execution  of  his  enterprise,  on  condi- 
tion that  he  should  be  entitled  to  one-eighth  of  the 
profits.  He  made  no  stipulation  for  any  reward  or 
emolument  whatever  in  the  event  of  failure. 

His  terms  were  at  last  agreed  to ;  but  there  were 
still  difficulties  before  commencing  the  voyage  that 
required  all  the  perseverance  of  Columbus  to  overcome. 

It  happened  that  the  authorities  of  the  seaport  of 
Palos  had  been  condemned,  on  account  of  misconduct, 
to  serve  the  crown  for  one  year  with  two  armed  ships, 
of  the  kind  called  caravels  ;  the  penalty  was  now  en- 
forced, an  order  being  issued  on  the  30th  April,  com- 
manding the  authorities  of  the  place  to  have  the  vessels 
ready  within  ten  days.  Columbus  availed  himself  of 
the  permission  contained  in  the  last  article ;  and,  through 
the  aid  of  the  Pinzon  family  of  Palos,  was  enabled  to 
contribute  a  thiid  vessel.  The  authorities  and  inhabi- 
tants of  the  Andalusian  coast  were  enjoined  to  facilitate 
to  the  utmost  the  operations  of  Columbus,  and  strictly 
forbidden,  under  severe  penalties,  to  throw  any  impedi- 
ment in  his  way.  Columbus  himself  quitted  the  court 
at  Granada  on  the  12th  of  May,  after  having  received 
from  Isabella  a  strong  mark  of  her  kindness,  in  confer- 
ring upon  his  son  Diego  the  distinguished  honour  of 
being  page  to  Prince  Juan,  the  heir-apparent. 

But  in  spite  of  repeated  and  imperative  mandates,  no 
ships  were  forthcoming;  owners  refused  to  furnish  them, 
seamen  refused  to  serve,  and  weeks  elapsed  without 
any  progress  being  made.  At  length  Martin  Alonzo 
Pinzon,  who  has  been  already  mentioned  as  an  early 
supporter  of  the  enterprise,  and  as  a  sea-captain  of 
wealth  and  influence  in  Palos,  came  forward  with  his 
brother  Vincente  Yanez  Pinzon,  and  offering  to  furnish 
two  vessels,  and  to  sail  themselves  in  the  expedition, 
induced  many  to  embark,  and  succeeded  in  getting  the 


LIFE    OF    CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS.  15 

vessels  ready  for  sea  within  a  month.  The  third  vessel  call- 
ed the  Pinta,  was  pressed  into  the  service  with  its  crew. 

The  month  of  August  had  arrived  before  the  three 
vessels  were  ready  for  sea;  and  after  all  the  difficulty 
which  had  been  experienced  in  fitting  them  out,  this 
slender  armament  was  neither  befitting  the  dignity  of 
the  nation  by  which  it  was  equipped,  nor  adequate  to 
the  important  service  for  which  it  was  destined. 

Two  of  them  were  caravels,  or  vessels  of  small  size, 
generally  compared  to  the  coasting  craft  of  modern 
times;  they  were  only  partially  decked,  being  quite 
open  in  the  middle.  Columbus  embarked  in  the  largest 
of  the  three,  which  was  completely  decked  ;  he  named 
it  the  Santa  Maria.  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon  was  the 
captain  of  the  second,  called  the  Pinta;  and  his  young- 
est brother,  Francisco  Martin,  the  pilot;  while  the  other 
caravel,  called  the  Nina,  was  commanded  by  the  second 
brother,  Vincente  Yanez  Pinzon.  Three  other  pilots 
were  engaged  in  the  expedition,  with  some  official  func- 
tionaries, a  few  private  adventurers,  a  physician,  and  a 
surgeon,  and  ninety  seamen,  who  made  altogether  one 
hundred  and  twenty  persons. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3d  August  1492,  being  Friday, 
Columbus  set  sail  from  Palos  with  his  small  squadron, 
on  that  memorable  voyage,  which  ended  in  the  dis- 
covery of  the  New  World.  He  shaped  his  course  for 
the  Canary  Islands,  it  being  his  intention  thence  to 
steer  due  west.  As  a  guide  by  which  to  sail,  he  had 
the  map  sent  him  by  Paolo  Toscanelli  of  Florence. 

Although  Columbus  engaged  in  this  perilous  enter- 
prise, in  the  full  belief  that  he  should  succeed  in  carry- 
ing it  to  a  glorious  termination,  yet  the  greater  part  of 
his  followers  were  animated  by  feelings  of  a  very  dif- 
ferent kind.  We  have  spoken  of  the  difficulty  of  man- 
ning the  vessels,  in  consequence  of  the  horror  excited 


16  LIFE    OF   CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS. 

among  the  mariners  of  Palos  at  the  nature  of  the  ex- 
pedition; when  the  hour  of  parting  arrived,  and  those 
who  were  engaged  for  the  dreaded  service  came  to  take 
leave  of  their  friends,  their  aversion  to  it  was  naturally 
increased.  The  little  squadron  sailed  from  the  shores 
of  Spain  amid  the  lamentations  of  all  who  beheld  its 
departure ;  and  although  the  prayer  was  general  for  the 
prosperous  issue  of  the  voyage,  there  were  few  who 
ventured  to  expect  it.  This  general  distaste  to  the  en- 
terprise was  a  source  of  much  uneasiness  to  Columbus, 
and  on  the  third  day  of  the  voyage  an  incident  occurred 
which  increased  his  apprehensions.  The  Pinta  made 
signals  of  distress,  her  rudder  being  broken  and  unhung. 
It  was  suspected  that  this  injury  had  been  purposely 
contrived  by  the  owners  of  the  caravel,  in  order  that, 
being  thus  disabled,  she  might  be  left  behind.  As  soon 
as  this  damage  had  been  repaired,  other  defects  were 
discovered  in  the  same  vessel;  and  Columbus  deter- 
mined, when  he  reached  the  Canaries,  to  replace  her,  if 
he  could,  by  another.  But  in  a  search  of  three  weeks 
he  was  unable  to  do  so ;  and  thus  he  was  obliged  to 
render  the  Pinta  serviceable  by  such  repairs  as  could 
be  executed  there.  During  his  stay,  he  received  intel- 
ligence of  three  Portuguese  caravels  which  had  been 
hovering  off  Ferro,  with  the  design,  it  was  said,  of  in- 
tercepting him.  He  therefore  hurried  his  departure,  and 
made  sail  from  the  Canaries  on  the  6th  of  September. 
.  For  three  days  there  was  a  profound  calm,  which  kept 
the  squadron  in  sight  of  land;  but  on  Sunday,  the  9th, 
a  breeze  sprung  up,  which  carried  them  far  out  into  the 
wide  Atlantic,  and  before  the  day  closed  there  was 
nothing  to  be  seen  but  water  all  around  them. 

The  voyage  of  discovery  had  now  fairly  commenced, 
and  the  difficulties  of  his  situation  at  once  forced  them- 
selves upon  Columbus.     In   losing  sight  of  land,  the 


LIFE    OF    CHRISTOPHER    COLUMBUS.  17 

sailors  lost  the  last  remnant  of  their  courage  ;  many  of 
them,  dejected  and  dismayed  before,  now  began  to  beat 
their  breasts  and  to  shed  tears,  and  to  burst  forth  into 
loud  lamentations.  Columbus  endeavoured  to  console 
them  by  holding  out  assurances  of  success,  and  promis- 
ing a  speedy  acquisition  of  vast  wealth  in  those  magni- 
ficent regions  to  which  he  was  conducting  them. 

To  provide  for  the  contingency  of  the  ships  being 
separated  by  a  storm,  or  other  accident,  he  gave  orders 
to  the  commanders  of  the  Pinta  and  the  Nina,  that  in 
such  case  they  should  continue  sailing  westward  700 
leagues,  and  then  look  out  for  land.  Yet,  though  he 
confidently  expected  to  find  it  at  that  distance,  he  knew 
that  disappointment  was  possible  ;  and,  as  the  clamours 
of  the  seamen  would  naturally  increase  the  further  they 
advanced,  he  had  recourse  to  the  stratagem  of  keeping 
two  reckonings, — one  of  them  correct  for  his  own  use, 
the  other  incorrect,  for  the  general  information,  and 
showing  a  smaller  progress  than  was  really  made. «  On 
the  11th  of  September,  when  they  were  150  leagues  to 
the  westward  of  Ferro,  they  found  a  part  of  the  mast  of 
a  ship  floating  on  the  waves ;  in  this  melancholy  object 
the  terrified  crews  beheld  an  indication  of  the  wretched 
fate  that  awaited  themselves. 

Steadily  continuing  its  course  to  the  westward,  in  the 
latitude  of  the  Canary  Islands,  the  little  squadron  at 
length  got  within  the  sphere  of  the  trade-wind,  which 
blows  invariably  from  east  to  west,  between  the  tropics 
and  a  few  degrees  beyond  them :  their  progress  was 
rapid,  and  so  uniformly  easy,  that  for  many  days  it  was 
not  necessary  to  shift  a  sail.  Columbus  was  particularly 
struck  with  the  bland  and  temperate  serenity  of  the 
weather;  in  his  Journal,  he  compares  the  mornings  to 
those  of  April  in  Andalusia,  observing  that,  to  complete 
the  illusion,  the  song  of  the  nightingale  alone  was 
wanting. 


18 


LIFE    OF    CHRISTOPHER    COLUMBUS. 


When  they  had  sailed  360  leagues  west  of  the  Ca- 
naries, they  found  themselves  among  large  floating 
patches  of  marine  herbs  and  weeds,  some  yellow  and 
decayed,  others  green,  and  with  the  appearance  of  having 
been  recently  detached  from  the  rocks  on  which  they 
had  grown.  These  were  all  drifting  from  the  west ; 
and  off  one  of  them  a  live  crab  was  taken.  Tunny-fish 
played  about  the  ships  ;  and  one  of  them  was  killed  by 
the  crew  of  the  Nina.  On  the  18th  of  September,  Mar- 
tin Alonzo  Pinzon,  who  always  kept  ahead,  the  Pinta 
being  a  fast  sailer,  lay-to  till  Columbus  came  up,  and 
told  him  that  he  had  seen  a  multitude  of  birds  in  the 
west,  and  that  he  had  discovered  certain  indications  of 
land  towards  the  north.  He  was  anxious  therefore  to 
alter  his  course;  but  Columbus  bade  him.  keep  steadily 
on,  for  not  much  more  than  half  of  the  estimated  dis- 
tance to  the  Asiatic  continent  had  been  yet  accomplished, 
and  he  was  unwilling  to  turn  aside  from  the  great  object 
of  his  search,  merely  for  the  sake  of  discovering,  as  he 
thought,  a  little  sooner,  some  of  the  intervening  islands. 
On  the  19th,  two  pelicans  flew  on  board  the  ships,  and 
Columbus  himself  began  to  think  that  land  could  not  be 
far  off;  bat,  on  sounding  with  a  line  of  200  fathoms,  no 
bottom  was  found. 

The  sailors  became  very  uneasy  as  these  successive 
indications  of  land  proved  delusive.  They  were  igno- 
rant of  the  exact  distance  which  they  had  advanced, 
but  they  knew  that  they  had  far  surpassed  the  bounds 
of  former  enterprise.  The  steadiness  with  which  the 
wind  had  blown  from  the  east  became  a  source  of  alarm 
to  them  ;  for  they  supposed  that  it  would  always  blow 
in  the  same  direction,  and  prevent  their  return  to  Spain. 
Fortunately  some  light  breezes  sprang  up  from  the  south- 
west on  the  20th; — "much  this  contrary  wind  was 
needful  to  me,"  says  Columbus,  ufor  my  people  were 


LIFE    OF    CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS.  19 

gTeatly  alarmed  with  thinking  that  winds  for  returning 
to  Spain  did  not  blow  in  these  seas."  At  the  same 
time  they  were  visited  by  some  small  singing-birds, 
which  they  looked  upon  as  sure  harbingers  of  land.  On 
the  next  day  they  fell  in  with  so  large  a  quantity  of 
weeds,  that  the  surface  of  the  sea  for  some  distance  re- 
sembled a  vast  meadow,  and  the  progress  of  the  vessels 
was  at  times  seriously  retarded.  These  thick  fields  of 
weeds  are  often  observed  in  this  part  of  the  ocean.  The 
crews  became  again  alarmed  ;  they  thought  that  the  sea 
was  getting  shallow,  that  rocks  and  shoals  lay  hidden 
beneath  its  surface,  or  that  some  large  tract  of  land  had 
sunk  in  that  place.  Columbus  strove  to  reassure  them 
by  sounding  continually  with  a  deep-sea  line,  and  show- 
ing that  it  gave  no  bottom.  A  fresh  ground  of  alarm 
was  then  discovered  by  their  anxious  eyes,  in  the 
extreme  calmness  of  the  weather ;  for  three  days  the 
smoothness  of  the  water  was  unruffled,  and  the  affrighted 
seamen  shuddered  at  the  prospect  of  remaining  stationary 
in  the  midst  of  an  unfrequented  ocean,  far  out  of  reach 
of  land.  The  reasoning  of  Columbus  had  little  effect  in 
dispelling  their  terror ;  but  fortunately,  on  the  25th , 
being  Sunday,  a  heavy  swell,  without  wind,  came  on, 
and  the  astonishment  which  it  excited  diverted  their 
fears. 

The  impatience  of  the  crews  had,  however,  now 
reached  a  height  which  threatened  the  most  serious  con- 
sequences. The  men  gathered  in  groups,  and,  taking 
confidence  from  union,  became  louder  in  their  discon- 
tent. There  were  even  some  who  had  the  villany  to 
propose,  that,  if  Columbus  refused  to  turn  back,  they 
should  throw  him  into  the  sea,  and  give  out,  on  their 
arrival  in  Spain,  that  he  had  fallen  overboard  while 
contemplating  the  stars  and  the  signs  of  the  heavens 
with  his  astronomical  instruments. 


20  LIFE    OF    CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS. 

Columbus  was  fully  sensible  of  his  critical  situation, 
but  he  still  maintained  a  cheerful  countenance,  some- 
times using-  all  the  arts  of  insinuation  to  sooth  his  men, 
at  others  striving  to  work  upon  their  ambition  or  ava- 
rice, and  at  others  assuming  a  tone  of  authority,  and 
threatening  the  most  refractory  with  the  vengeance  of 
their  sovereign. 

On  the  evening  of  the  25th  of  September,  while  Co- 
lumbus was  engaged  with  his  pilot  and  some  experienced 
mariners  studying  a  chart,  he  was  aroused  by  the  voice 
of  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  shouting  from  the  stern  of 
the  Pinta,  "  Land  !  land  !  senor,  I  claim  the  reward" 
(for  the  Spanish  government  had  promised  a  pension  of 
thirty  crowns  to  the  first  discoverer  of  land  in  the  ex- 
pedition). A  dark  mass  was  pointed  out  in  the  south- 
west, having  the  appearance  of  land,  distant  about 
twenty-five  leagues  ;  and  all  who  gazed  upon  it  agreed 
that  it  was  land.  Columbus  threw  himself  upon  his 
knees,  and  returned  thanks  to  God ;  and  the  crews 
joined  in  singing  the  Gloria  in  excelsis.  All  night  the 
ships  stood  towards  the  south-west ;  and  at  day-break 
all  eyes  were  turned  in  that  direction,  but  the  land  had 
vanished,  and  they  found  that  they  had  been  cheated  by 
one  of  those  evening  clouds  which  in  tropical  skies 
assume  such  singular  appearances  about  sunset,  and  so 
often  delude  the  mariner  into  a  belief  that  they  are 
land.  Columbus  resumed  his  western  course,  and  for 
several  days  the  attention  of  the  crews  was  diverted  by 
the  continued  signs  of  land.  The  eagerness  of  the 
seamen  to  obtain  the  pension  of  thirty  crowns  led  them 
to  cry  out  upon  trivial  indications ;  accordingly,  to  pre- 
vent the  continual  disappointments  which  ensued, 
Columbus  declared,  that  any  one  giving  notice  of  land 
which  should  not  be  actually  found  in  three  days  after- 
wards, should  lose  all  claim  to  the  pension. 


LIFE    OF    CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS.  21 

On  the  1st  of  October,  Columbus  found  that  he  had 
sailed  707  leagues  since  leaving  the  Canaries,  though 
the  reckoning  which  he  showed  the  crew  gave  only  584 
leagues.  On  the  7th,  having  advanced  750  leagues,  or 
the  distance  at  which  he  had  calculated  upon  finding 
the  island  of  Cipango,  and  the  indications  of  land  in 
the  south-west  being  strong,  he  yielded  to  the  solicita- 
tions of  Pinzon,  and  altered  his  course  towards  that  point. 
For  three  days  the  crews  lived  in  hourly  expectation  of 
finding  land  ;  fresh  and  green  herbage  floated  past  the 
ships  ;  multitudes  of  small  singing-birds  came  flying 
about  them,  and  then  darting  off  towards  the  south-west, 
in  which  direction  also  a  pelican,  a  heron,  and  a  duck, 
were  seen  moving.  All  these  signs  convinced  Colum- 
bus that  now  indeed  he  was  really  in  the  vicinity  of 
land.  Accordingly,  on  the  same  evening,  being  that  of 
the  11th  of  October,  after  the  performance  of  the  usual 
religious  service,  he  called  together  his  crew,  bade  them 
return  thanks  to  God  for  having  preserved  them  through- 
out so  long  a  voyage,  and  conducted  them,  by  so  easy 
a  navigation,  to  the  object  of  their  anxious  search.  He 
told  them,  that  in  all  probability  they  would  discover 
land  before  morning,  and  recommended  them  therefore 
to  keep  a  careful  look-out  during  the  night,  promising, 
at  the  same  time,  to  him  who  should  first  descry  it,  a 
doublet  of  velvet,  in  addition  to  the  pension  already 
offered  by  the  sovereigns. 

The  ships  sailed  on  in  their  course  throughout  the 
evening,  the  Pinta  as  usual  taking  the  lead,  and  the 
greatest  anxiety  pervading  the  minds  of  all  on  board 
them.  Columbus  mounted  the  lofty  poop  of  his  vessel, 
and  from  that  elevated  station  kept  up  a  close  watch. 
Suddenly,  about  two  hours  before  midnight,  he  saw  a 
light  in  the  distance,  and  calling  to  Pedro  Gutierrez,  a 
gentleman  of  the  king's  bed-chamber,  made  him  observe 


22  LIFE    OF    CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS. 

it  likewise.  Rodrigo  Sanchez  of  Segovia,  the  armourer, 
was  called  next,  but  before  he  came,  the  light  disap- 
peared ;  it  was,  however,  seen  for  a  moment  twice  after- 
wards, and  its  appearance  increased  the  confidence  of 
Columbus.  At  two  in  the  morning,  a  gun  from  the 
Pinta — the  preconcerted  signal — announced  the  disco- 
very of  land,  which  soon  afteijvards  was  clearly  seen 
at  the  distance  of  two  leagues.  It  had  been  first  descried 
by  Rodriguez  Bermejo,  a  mariner  of  Seville;  but  the 
reward  was  afterwards  adjudged  to  Columbus,  who  had 
so  long  before  observed  the  light.  The  ships  now  lay- 
to  for  the  rest  of  the  night,  waiting,  in  all  the  anguish 
of  suspense,  until  the  return  of  day  should  reveal  to  their 
impatient  eyes  the  unknowrn  country  wrhich  they  had 
at  last  reached  through  so  many  trying  circumstances. 

When  day  broke  on  the  memorable  morning  of  Fri- 
day the  12th  of  October,  1492,  Columbus  and  his 
enraptured  followers  beheld  before  them  an  island  of 
some  extent,  whose  flat  and  verdant  fields,  well  covered 
wTith  trees,  and  watered  by  many  rivulets,  gave  promise 
of  a  delightful  country.  They  soon  perceived  that  they 
themselves  were  the  objects  of  equally  anxious  regard ; 
for  they  saw  the  naked  inhabitants  of  the  island  crowd- 
ing from  all  parts  to  its  shores,  and  gazing  towards  the 
ships  in  evident  astonishment.  Columbus  ordered  the 
boats  to  be  manned.  He  entered  his  own,  armed  and 
habited  in  a  rich  dress,  and  proceeded  towards  the  land, 
with  the  royal  standard  unfurled ;  he  was  followed  by 
Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  and  Vincente  Yanez  Pinzon, 
commanders  of  the  Pinta  and  the  Nina,  in  their  respec- 
tive boats.  If  the  distant  view  of  the  island  had  created 
favourable  impressions  of  its  beauty  and  fertility,  a  near 
approach  confirmed  them ;  everywhere  it  showed  the 
marks  of  a  lovely  and  exuberant  vegetation.    , 

On  landing,  Columbus  fell  upon  his  knees,  kissed  the 


LIFE    OF    CHRISTOPHER    COLUMBUS.  23 

earth,  and  returned  thanks  to  God  for  having  brought 
his  voyage  to  so  happy  an  issue  ;  his  followers  then  did 
the  same.  Rising,  he  drew  his  sword,  and  giving  the 
island  the  name  of  San  Salvador,  took  solemn  possession 
of  it  in  the  name  of  the  Spanish  sovereigns,  with  the 
requisite  forms  and  ceremonies.  He  then  proceeded  to 
assume  his  titles  of  admiral  and  viceroy,  calling  upon 
all  present  to  take  an  oath  of  obedience  to  him ;  and 
from  this  time  forward  he  always  subscribed  himself 
El  Almiranle,  or  "  the  admiral." 

We  have  spoken  of  the  astonishment  which  the 
Spaniards  could  discern  from  their  ships,  in  the  gestures 
of  the  people  gazing  at  them  from  the  shore  ;  this  aston- 
ishment was  much  increased  by  the  apparently  spon- 
taneous movements  of  those  vast  machines,  which,  with 
their  sails,  seemed  to  the  simple  natives,  huge  monsters 
with  wings.  When  the  boats  approached,  they  fled  from 
the  shore  to  the  woods  ;  but  quickly  returning,  they 
gazed  in  silent  admiration  on  the  Spaniards  during  the 
ceremony  of  taking  possession.  They  were  struck  with 
the  dresses  of  their  new  visiters,  the  whiteness  of  their 
skins,  their  beards,  their  arms,  and  armour;  and  the 
quiet  demeanour  of  the  Spaniards  inspiring  them  with 
confidence,  they  advanced  close  to  the  objects  of  their 
curiosity,  and  inspected  them  with  minuteness. 

The  island  was  called  by  the  natives  Guanahani.  It 
is  one  of  the  group  known  as  the  Lucayos,  or  Bahama 
Islands,  and  is  generally  identified  with  that  which  at 
the  present  day  bears  the  name  of  San  Salvador,  being 
thus  supposed  to  have  retained  ever  since  its  discovery 
the  name  which  Columbus  then  gave  to  it. 

The  astonishment  of  the  Spaniards  at  the  scene  which 
they  beheld,  was  scarcely  inferior  to  that  which  the  na- 
tives had  evinced.  The  climate  was  delightful ;  the  soil 
of  the  island  was  evidently  rich,  and  its  products  differed 


24  LIFE    OF    CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS. 

entirely  from  those  to  which  the  strangers  were  accus- 
tomed in  Europe ;  they  quickly  perceived,  however,  that 
it  displayed  but  few  marks  of  cultivation.  In  like  man- 
ner, the  inhabitants  exhibited  scarcely  any  traces  of 
civilization.  They  were  entirely  naked,  and  painted 
with  a  variety  of  colours  and  devices  so  as  to  have  a 
wild  and  fantastic  appearance.  Their  natural  com- 
plexion was  of  a  tawny  or  copper  hue,  and  they  were 
entirely  destitute  of  beards.  Their  features,  though 
disfigured  by  paint,  were  agreeable.  They  appeared  to 
be  simple  and  artless  people,  and  of  gentle  and  friendly 
dispositions.  Their  only  arms  were  lances,  hardened  at 
the  end  by  fire,  or  pointed  with  a  flint  or  a  bone  of  a  fish. 

In  the  morning  Columbus  sailed  along  the  coast  of 
the  island  towards  the  north-west,  and  in  his  voyage 
discovered  other  islands,  to  which  he  gave  names.  The 
largest  he  fell  in  with  was  Cuba,  which  is  nearly  as 
large  as  Great  Britain.  At  Cuba  he  expected  to  find  a 
great  trade,  abundance  of  gold  and  spices,  large  ships, 
and  rich  merchants.  But  in  these  conjectures  he  was 
entirely  mistaken.  On  the  5th  of  December  he  dis- 
covered and  landed  upon  another  large  island,  which  he 
called  Hispaniola,  now  named  St.  Domingo  or  Hayti. 
There  he  planted  a  fort  and  made  it  the  seat  of  a  colony. 
From  this  period  may  be  dated  the  misfortunes  of  Co- 
lumbus. That  great  man  now  lost  control  over  his 
wicked  and  rapacious  companions,  who  seemed  desirous 
of  plundering  the  newly  discovered  islands,  and  after- 
wards of  sailing  home  to  be  the  first  to  make  known  the 
discoveries  that  had  been  made.  Pinzon,  the  commander 
of  the  Pinta,  took  the  lead  in  these  dastardly  proceed- 
ings, for  which  he  afterwards  expressed  the  deepest 
regret. 

After  cruising  about  for  some  time,  and  endeavouring 
to  enter  into  friendly  alliances  with  native  chiefs  in  the 


LIFE    OF    CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS.  25 

islands,  he  set  sail  with  his  vessels  on  his  return  to 
Spain.  His  homeward  voyage  was  exceedingly  stormy ; 
and  after  braving  the  most  imminent  dangers,  they  came 
in  sight  of  land  near  Lisbon  on  the  4th  of  March  1493. 
Having  paid  his  respects,  in  passing,  to  the  Portuguese 
monarch,  he  proceeded  without  loss  of  time  towards 
the  coast  of  Spain,  and,  on  the  15th  of  March,  he 
entered  and  anchored  in  the  harbour  of  Palos. 

Seven  months  and  twelve  days  before,  he  had  quitted 
the  same  harbour  amid  the  tears  and  lamentations  of 
those  who  beheld  his  departure ;  for,  as  we  have  said,  it 
was  the  general  belief  that  all  who  engaged  in  the  enter- 
prise were  doomed  to  destruction.  Now,  therefore,  a 
natural  anxiety  seized  the  people  when  they  heard  that 
one  of  the  adventurous  squadron  was  approaching  their 
town ;  and  there  was  an  eagerness  not  only  among  them 
all  generally  to  learn  the  results  of  the  voyage,  but 
among  most  of  them  individually,  to  gather  tidings  of 
some  relation  or  friend  who  had  embarked  in  it.  As 
soon  as  its  glorious  termination  became  known,  there 
was  an  universal  effusion  of  unbounded  joy.  The  bells 
were  rung,  guns  were  fired ;  and  when  the  admiral 
landed,  the  people  accompanied  him  in  procession  to  the 
chief  church,  to  return  thanks  to  God.  They  hailed  his 
presence  with  the  loudest  acclamations,  and  testified 
their  admiration  of  so  extraordinary  a  man,  by  paying 
him  such  honours  as  were  usually  reserved  for  royalty. 

The  evening  of  this  memorable  day  brought  with  it 
an  accession  of  joy,  by  removing  the  last  trace  of  anxiety 
from  the  minds  of  the  people;  for,  before  its  close,  the 
lost  Pinta,  with  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon  and  her  crew, 
sailed  into  the  harbour  of  Palos. 

When  Columbus  reached  Palos,  the  Spanish  court 
was  at  Barcelona  ;  he  wrote  directly  to  inform  the  sove- 
reigns of  his  arrival,  and  awaited  their  reply  at  Seville. 
3 


26  LIFE    OF    CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS. 

Ferdinand  and  Isabella  were  astonished  and  delighted  at 
the  issue  of  the  enterprise ;  they  addressed  him  in  the 
most  flattering  terms,  and  desired  him  to  repair  imme- 
diately to  court,  that  from  his  own  mouth  they  might 
receive  a  full  detail  of  his  extraordinary  services  and 
discoveries,  and  also  that  he  might  concert  measures  for 
a  second  and  more  extensive  voyage.  During  his  jour- 
ney to  Barcelona,  the  people  crowded  from  the  adjacent 
country  towards  him  wherever  he  passed,  following  him 
with  admiration  and  applause.  His  entrance  into  the 
city  was  conducted  by  order  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella, 
with  pomp  suitable  to  the  great  event  which  added  such 
distinguishing  lustre  to  their  reign.  The  people  whom 
he  brought  along  with  him  from  the  countries  which  he 
had  discovered  marched  first,  and  by  their  singular  com- 
plexion, the  wild  peculiarity  of  their  features,  and  un- 
couth finery,  appeared  like  men  of  another  species  ;  next 
to  them  were  carried  the  ornaments  of  gold,  fashioned 
by  the  rude  art  of  the  natives,  the  grains  of  gold  found 
in  the  mountains,  and  dust  of  the  same  metal  gathered 
in  the  rivers.  After  these,  appeared  the  various  com- 
modities of  the  newly  discovered  countries,  together  with 
their  curious  productions.  C  olumbus  himself  closed  the 
procession,  and  attracted  the  eyes  of  all  the  spectators, 
who  gazed  with  admiration  on  the  extraordinary  man 
whose  superior  sagacity  and  fortitude  had  conducted 
their  countrymen  by  a  route  concealed  from  past  ages, 
to  the  knowledge  of  a  new  world. 

Ferdinand  and  Isabella  received  him  clad  in  their 
royal  robes,  and  seated  upon  their  throne,  which  they 
had  ordered  to  be  placed  in  public  under  a  magnificent 
canopy ;  Prince  Juan,  the  heir-apparent,  sat  behind 
them,  and  around  them  stood  the  principal  nobility  of 
Spain.  When  he  approached,  the  sovereigns  stood  up, 
and,  raising  him  as  he  kneeled  to  kiss  their  hands, 


LIFE    OF    CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS.  27 

commanded  him  to  take  his  seat  upon  a  chair  prepared 
for  him,  and  to  give  a  circumstantial  account  of  his 
voyage.  He  delivered  it  with  a  gravity  and  composure 
suitable  to  the  disposition  of  the  Spanish  nation,  as 
well  as  to  the  dignity  of  the  audience  in  which  he 
spoke. 

After  he  had  finished  his  address,  the  whole  assembly 
fell  upon  their  knees,  while  an  anthem  was  chaunted  by 
the  choir  of  the  royal  chapel.  With  songs  of  praise, 
the  glory  was  given  to  God  for  the  discovery  of  a  new 
world.  Columbus  and  his  adventures  were  for  many 
days  the  wonder  and  delight  of  the  people  and  the 
court.  The  sovereigns  admitted  the  admiral  to  their 
audience  at  all  hours,  and  loaded  him  with  every  mark 
of  favour  and  distinction.  Men  of  the  highest  rank 
were  proud  of  the  honour  of  his  company. 

All  matters  were  soon  prepared  for  the  second  voyage 
to  the  Western  World.  On  the  dawn  of  the  25th  of 
September  1 193,  the  Bay  of  Cadiz  was  crowded  with 
the  departing  fleet  of  Columbus.  There  were  three 
large*  ships  and  fourteen  caravels  waiting  for  the  signal 
to  sail.  All  on  board  were  breathing  hope  and  joy. 
Instead  of  the  gloomy  despondency  that  overshadowed 
the  leave-taking  at  Palos,  there  was  now  animation  and 
cheerfulness.  The  whole  fleet  was  under  weigh  before 
the  rising  of  the  sun. 

During  this  second  voyage  Columbus  extended  his 
discoveries,  though  without  reaping  any  solid  advan- 
tage to  himself.  He  found  the  fort  which  he  had 
planted  entirely  destroyed,  and  the  men  whom  he  had 
left  slain;  their  avaricious  and  quarrelsome  disposi- 
tions having  led  to  their  extirpation  by  the  enraged 
natives.  A  new  colony,  under  better  auspices,  was 
however  settled,  and  the  payment  of  a  tribute  by  the 
natives  enforced.     In  the  mean  time,  the  disaffected 


28  LIFE  OF    CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS. 

and  worthless  among  his  companions  carried  ground- 
less complaints  against  him  to  the  court  of  Spain,  and 
he  returned  to  obtain  reparation  of  the  injurious  impu- 
tations. On  appearing  before  his  sovereigns  he  was 
soothed  by  some  trifling  apologies,  and  dispatched  on 
a  third  voyage  in  May  1498,  and  in  this  expedition  he 
landed  on  the  coast  of  Paria  in  South  America.  He 
found  the  lately  discovered  island  distracted  with  the 
horrors  of  civil  discord.  The  vices  of  the  settlers  he 
had  left  had  produced  misery  and  despair,  and  the  un- 
fortunate Columbus  was  loudly  accused  of  being  the 
cause  of  the  universal  ruin.  His  enemies  in  Spain 
had  likewise  the  influence  to  induce  the  sovereigns  to 
dispatch  a  commissioner  to  Hispaniola,  to  inquire  into 
the  truth  of  the  charges  against  Columbus,  and  to 
supersede  his  administration.  The  consequence  of 
this  harsh  procedure  was,  that  Columbus,  with  his 
brothers  Diego  and  Bartholomew,  after  being  treated 
with  the  utmost  indignity,  were  sent  to  Spain  in 
chains. 

The  rumour  was  no  sooner  circulated  at  CadizT  and 
Seville,  that  Columbus  and  his  brothers  had  arrived 
loaded  with  chains  and  condemned  to  death,  than  it 
gave  rise  to  an  immediate  expression  of  public  indigna- 
tion. The  excitement  was  strong  and  universal ;  and 
messengers  were  immediately  dispatched  to  convey 
the  intelligence  to  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  The  so- 
vereigns were  moved  by  this  exhibition  of  popular 
feeling,  and  were  offended  that  their  name  and  au- 
thority should  have  been  used  to  sanction  such  dis- 
honourable violence.  They  gave  orders  for  the  imme- 
diate liberation  of  the  prisoners,  and  for  their  being 
escorted  to  Granada  with  the  respect  and  honour  they 
deserved.  He  was  not,  however,  restored  to  his  com- 
mand at  Hispaniola,  nor  was  it  till  many  months  after- 


LIFE   OF    CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS.  29 

wards  that  he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  an  expedition 
to  open  a  new  passage  to  the  East  Indies.  On  the 
9th  of  May  1502,  Columbus  again  set  sail  from  Cadiz 
on  a  fourth  voyage  of  discovery.  During  this  voyage 
he  touched  at  some  parts  of  the  South  American  con- 
tinent, and  also  at  some  of  the  formerly  discovered 
islands,  but  he  failed  in  making  any  important  dis- 
coveries, in  consequence  of  the  bad  state  of  his  vessels, 
which  were  old  and  unfit  for  sailing.  With  a  squad- 
ron reduced  to  a  single  vessel  he  now  returned  to  Spain, 
where  he  heard  with  regret  of  the  death  of  his  patron- 
ess Isabella.  This  was  a  sad  blow  to  his  expectations 
of  redress  and  remuneration.  In  her  justice,  humanity, 
and  favour,  his  only  reliance  had  been  placed  ;  and, 
till  the  bitter  tidings  of  her  dissolution  reached  him,  he 
had  fondly  cherished  the  hope  of  still  obtaining  through 
her  agency  the  restoration  of  all  his  rights.  None  now 
remained  to  redress  his  wrongs  or  to  reward  him  for  his 
services  and  sufferings,  but  Ferdinand,  who,  jealous 
and  ungrateful,  had  so  long  opposed  and  injured  him. 
To  him  Columbus  wrote  many  letters,  and  employed 
his  brother  Bartholomew  and  others  to  support  them 
with  personal  applications,  but  his  efforts  were  fruit- 
less, and  no  attention  was  paid  to  his  requests.  Dis- 
gusted and  mortified  by  the  base  conduct  of  Ferdinand, 
and  exhausted  with  the.  hardships  which  he  had  suf- 
fered, and  oppressed  with  infirmities,  Columbus  ended 
his  life  at  Valladolid  on  the  20th  of  May  1506.  He 
died  with  a  composure  of  mind  suitable  to  the  mag- 
nanimity which  distinguished  his  character,  and  with 
sentiments  of  piety  becoming  that  supreme  respect  for 
religion  which  he  manifested  in  every  occurrence  of 
his  life. 


30  THE    INUNDATION   AT    PESTH. 


THE   INUNDATION  AT  PESTH. 

The  following  account  of  this  awful  calamity  is  extracted  from  Miss 
Pardoe's  "City  of  the  Magyar;"  a  work  containing  much  inter- 
esting information  respecting  the  Institutions  of  Hungary,  and  of 
the  warlike  and  independent  people  (Magyars)  who  compose  the 
bulk  of  the  inhabitants  of  that  country. 

The  city  of  Pesth  is  built  along  the  left  bank  of  the 
Danube,  from  which  its  riverward  line  is  only  separated 
by  a  quay  of  a  few  toises  in  width,  and  in  many  places 
the  houses  advance  even  yet  nearer  to  the  lip  of  the 
stream.  The  soil  occupied  by  the  town,  and  the  whole 
stretch  of  country  for  miles  about  it,  is  one  waste  of 
light  deep  sand ;  while  the  houses  are  (or  perhaps,  I 
should  rather  say,  were)  nearly  all  built  over  cellars, 
magazines,  stables,  and  drains. 

At  the  beginning  of  January  1838,  the  Danube  had 
already  attained  an  unusual  and  somewhat  alarming 
height,  and  the  water  flooded  all  the  drains  and  sub- 
terraneans in  its  immediate  neighbourhood,  whence  it 
was  obliged  to  be  drawn  off;  after  which  the  debou- 
chures of  all  these  underground  inlets  were  carefully 
closed. 

The  Danube  was  entirely  frozen  over  and  firmly 
closed  between  the  5th  and  6th  of  January;  and  a  con- 
tinuance of  snow  and  extreme  cold  so  severely  operated 
upon  it,  that  the  ice  gradually  increased  to  upwards  of 
three  feet  in  thickness.  During  the  8th  and  9th  of 
March  the  stupendous  mass  began  to  yield,  but  after 
flooding  the  lower  part  of  Buda,  it  again  settled.  It 
was  considered,  however,  to  wear  so  menacing  an  ap- 
pearance, that  a  dyke  six  feet  high  was  flung  up  the 
whole  length  of  the  city  between  the  houses  and  the 


THE    INUNDATION   AT   PESTH.  31 

river ;  when  the  authorities  and  inhabitants  of  Pesth, 
satisfied  with  this  precaution,  and  the  stoppage  of  the 
drains  where  they  communicated  with  the  Danube,  and 
remembering  that,  during  the  inundation  of  1775,  the 
water  had  never  risen  to  the  height  of  their  newly- 
erected  barrier,  abandoned  themselves  to  the  hope  and 
belief  that  before  the  river  had  attained  the  level  of  the 
dyke,  the  ice  would  break  up,  and  be  carried  away  by 
the  strength  of  the  current.  Some  few  individuals 
there  were,  nevertheless,  who  looked  upon  the  frost- 
chained  giant  with  more  anxious  forebodings. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  13th,  the  river  appeared 
to  become  more  threatening  in  its  appearance,  and  it 
was  considered  necessary  to  use  every  precaution  which 
might  prevent  its  flooding  the  quays.  Immediate  or- 
ders were  given  to  this  effect,  and  the  scene  was  de- 
scribed to  me  by  an  eye-witness  as  fearfully  dramatic. 
In  every  direction  were  to  be  seen  labourers  toiling  to 
fortify  the  dyke,  and  adding  such  other  means  of  defence 
as  the  impulse  of  the  moment  suggested ;  but  still  no 
serious  apprehensions  were  entertained,  for  it  was  be- 
lieved that  this  was  the  last  effort  of  the  mighty  river 
to  free  itself  from  its  frozen  load,  and  that,  the  feat 
accomplished,  all  peril  would  be  past.  And  thus  men 
moved  about  chatting,  and  speculating,  and  even  jest- 
ing; excited  into  false,  but  nevertheless  loud,  spirits; 
giving  advice  when  it  was  neither  sought  nor  followed, 
and  seeming  rather  to  be  actors  in  a  wild  dream  than  a 
peril-teeming  reality.  The  greetings  of  acquaintance 
were  heard  among  the  crowd,  the  ribald  jests  of  the 
thoughtless,  and  now  and  then  even  the  laughter  of 
women,  who  tried  to  trifle  away  their  fears  when  they 
were  chidden  for  them ;  but  at  eight  in  the  evening  the 
heavy  peal  of  the  alarm-bell  boomed  out,  and  doubt, 
and  hope,  and  jest,  were  at  an  end. 


32  THE   INUNDATION  AT  PESTH. 

When  its  iron  tongue  first  broke  upon  the  air,  the 
scene  along  the  river  bank  was  most  extraordinary. 
Workmen  and  soldiers,  lighted  by  torch-bearers,  were 
still  actively  employed  in  strengthening  the  defences  of 
the  dyke;  crowds  of  people  from  all  quarters  of  the  city 
thronged  the  quay,  and  impeded  the  passage  of  the  wag- 
gons which  were  moving  to  and  fro  laden  with  sand,  to 
fill  the  breaches ;  strong  men  were  carrying  timber  to 
different  points  to  increase  the  resistance  of  the  tempo- 
rary breakwater ;  and  it  is  calculated  that  not  less  than 
sixty  thousand  persons  must  have  been  collected  on  the 
shore ;  when  about  ten  o'clock  the  swollen  river  sud- 
denly made  a  new  and  mightier  effort  than  any  which 
had  preceded  it,  and  burst  the  dyke  in  several  places ; 
and  the  wild  waters,  laden  with  jagged  ice,  rushed  on- 
ward with  resistless  violence,  driving  before  them  the 
cowering  crowd,  who  fled  appalled  and  breathless  before 
the  swift  pursuit  of  this  strange  and  terrific  enemy. 

Down  fell  the  night,  as  if  to  aggravate  the  terrors  of 
the  hour;  and  men  hurried  on  they  knew  not  whither, 
pursued  by  a  danger  against  which  the  bravest  could 
not  contend.  There  was  no  laughter  now  upon  the 
air !  The  shrieks  of  women,  and  the  groans  of  men ; 
mothers  screaming  for  their  children,  and  children  wail- 
ing for  their  mothers  :  the  quick  sharp  sound  of  flying 
footsteps  upon  the  frozen  earth ;  and  over  all  the  rush- 
ing, dashing,  headlong  voice  of  the  emancipated  waters, 
made  up  the  frightful  diapason. 

By  an  hour  past  midnight,  several  quarters  of  the 
city  were  flooded  to  the  height  of  twenty-seven  feet, 
and  in  several  streets  large  boats  might  be  seen  mov- 
ing from  house  to  house ;  while  at  each  extremity  of 
the  suburbs  the  ice-laden  river  poured  like  a  torrent  upon 
the  town  ;  and  in  those  suburbs  themselves  the  poor 
inhabitants  had  barely  time  to  escape  with  life,  leaving 


THE   INUNDATION  AT  PESTH.  33 

their  little  possessions  to  the  fury  of  the  treacherous 
element  to  which  they  had  so  long  fearlessly  trusted. 

On  the  morning  of  the  14th,  whole  streets,  under- 
mined by  the  body  of  pent-up  water  which  filled  the 
subterraneans  beneath  them,  fell  with  successive  and 
deafening  crashes,  burying  alike  men  and  animals  amid 
their  ruins ;  and  perhaps  this  was  the  most  awful  mo- 
ment to  a  spectator  of  all  that  fatal  time. 

I  remember  being  told  by  the  Archduchess  Palatine, 
when  she  was  one  day  conversing  with  me  on  the  sub- 
ject of  this  frightful  inundation,  that,  as  she  stood  at 
one  of  the  windows  of  the  Palace  of  Buda,  and  looked 
down  upon  the  suffering  city,  seeing  whole  ranges  of 
buildings  sink  and  disappear  in  the  watery  waste  about 
them,  she  felt  her  brain  reel  and  her  heart  sicken,  as  a 
vague  feeling  grew  upon  her  that  the  whole  town  would 
be  ere  long  swept  away! 

From  the  14th  to  the  15th,  the  water  continued  sul- 
lenly and  steadily  to  increase,  spreading  wider  and 
wider,  sapping  and  overthrowing  dwellings,  and  drown- 
ing their  panic  stricken  inhabitants.  But  the  day  of 
horror — the  acme  of  misery — was  the  15th  itself.  Pesth 
will  probably  never  number  in  her  annals  so  dark  a  day 
again. 

Thousands  of  men,  women,  and  children,  homeless, 
houseless,  hopeless  beings,  clinging  to  life  when  they 
had  lost  nearly  all  that  made  life  a  blessing — parents, 
and  children,  and  sisters,  the  young,  helpless  in  their 
first  weakness,  and  the  old,  trembling  in  their  last — 
the  strong  man,  whose  weapon  was  stricken  from  his 
hand  by  a  Power  against  which  the  strongest  contends 
in  vain — the  philosopher,  who  in  all  his  abstraction 
had  found  no  preparative  for  so  hideous  a  death  as  this 
— the  mother,  whose  hope  had  withered  as  her  babe 
died  upon  her  bosom,  and  who  clung  to  life  rather  from 


34  THE  INUNDATION  AT  PESTH. 

instinct  than  from  volition — the  fond,  the  beautiful,  the 
delicately  nurtured — all  were  huddled  together  during 
that  fearful  day  upon  the  narrow  spaces  scattered  over 
the  town  and  suburbs  which  the  waters  had  not  yet 
reached.  And  as  it  wore  by,  every  half  hour  added  to 
the  devastation  around  them ;  houses  and  buildings 
which  had  survived  the  first  shock,  seemed  to  have  been 
preserved  only  to  add  to  the  horrors  of  that  day ;  many 
of  them  fell  and  perished  from  roof  to  base ;  others  be- 
came rent  by  the  heavy  dashing  of  the  waters,  and 
through  the  yawning  apertures  the  wasting  tide  poured 
in,  and  ruined  all  it  touched ;  while  to  add  to  the  con- 
fusion, in  some  quarters  of  the  city  the  heavy  barges 
which  had  been  procured  to  remove  the  sufferers  from 
their  threatened  houses,  broke  loose,  and  went  driving 
onward  through  the  streets  on  the  crest  of  the  foaming 
waters. 

Many  individuals  declared  that  they  felt  the  shock  of 
an  earthquake  on  the  night  of  the  13th,  an  assertion 
which  added  to  the  terror  of  the  people :  but  this  fact 
has  never  been  verified,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  im- 
pression was  originated  by  explosions  of  the  fixed  air 
which  was  pent  up  in  the  subterraneans,  and  which,  as 
the  impetuosity  of  the  water  broke  in,  rushed  out  at 
the  other  extremity  of  the  drains  with  a  sound  like 
thunder. 

To  attempt  a  description  of  the  horrors  of  the  15th, 
would  be  a  vain  as  well  as  an  ungrateful  task ;  but 
nothing  tended  so  utterly  to  bring  them  to  a  climax  as 
the  fall  of  the  extensive  Derra  Palace  in  the  New  Mar- 
ket-place. In  vain  did  men  murmur  to  each  other  that 
the  building  had  been  defective  in  its  construction,  and 
unsound  in  its  foundation;  their  misery  was  deeper 
than  the  cheat  which  they  sought  to  put  upon  them- 
selves ;   and  from  that  moment  those  who  yet  enjoyed 


THE    INUNDATION   AT    PESTH.  35 

the  shelter  of  a  roof  looked  on  their  temporary  asylum 
with  suspicion,  and  a  general  fear  grew  among  the 
multitude  that  the  whole  city  was  crumbling  about  them. 

Horror  accumulated  upon  horror :  the  young  and  the 
fragile,  unaccustomed  to  exposure,  in  drenched  and 
clinging  garments,  to  the  bleak  wind  of  that  chilly  sea- 
son, began  to  droop  and  sicken.  Even  amid  the  terrors 
which  surrounded  them,  fathers  of  families,  who  sat 
silently  among  their  quailing  children,  remembered  that 
they  had  suddenly  become  beggars ;  and  they  glanced 
from  their  wretched  offspring  to  the  leaping  and  foaming 
waters  about  them,  and  listened  to  the  crash  of  the 
falling  houses  which  burst  at  intervals  upon  their  ears, 
till  they  began  to  smile  vaguely  and  fearfully,  and  to 
muse  the  wild  musings  of  madness. 

It  having  been  found  necessary  to  extricate  all  who 
had  lingered  in  the  suburbs  from  their  frail  and  falling 
houses,  a  number  of  boats  were  busily  plying  in  every 
direction,  and  as  there  was  no  time  to  waste  on  forms  or 
convenience,  the  terrified  people  were  rapidly  put  on 
board  and  carried  off  to  places  of  comparative  safety. 
By  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  throughout  the  whole  city 
there  was  not  a  foot  of  dry  ground,  save  in  the  New- 
Market-Platz,  the  Joseph-Platz,  the  Franciscan-Platz, 
and  the  courts  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  the  County-Hall, 
and  the  Invalid  Hospital,  and  these  were  crowded  both 
by  men  and  horses,  while  many  families  of  the  highest 
rank  were  huddled  together  in  the  rude  wooden  booths 
erected  in  the  Market-place,  or  sat  in  their  carriages  for 
days  and  nights,  exposed  like  the  rest  of  the  population 
to  the  sufferings  of  cold  and  damp. 

While  yet  the  fury  of  the  element  was  at  its  greatest 
height,  and  all  was  want,  and  anguish,  and  desolation 
throughout  the  city — while  thousands  of  wretched 
beings  were  still  without  food  or  shelter — the  Archduke 


36  THE    INUNDATION    AT   PESTH. 

Palatine  sent  his  eldest  son,  the  young  Prince  Stephen, 
to  speak  peace  and  comfort  to  the  miserable  citizens ; 
and  despite  the  danger  of  the  mission,  the  high-hearted 
youth  accepted  it  without  hesitation. 

Nor  was  it  a  light  duty  which  this  noble  scion  of  the 
House  of  Hapsburg  received  as  a  boon  at  the  hands  of 
his  imperial  father ;  for  the  river  was  pouring  down 
angrily,  laden  with  masses  of  ice  driven  onward  by  the 
current,  and  threatening  ruin  to  the  unwary  bark  with 
which  they  might  chance  to  come  in  contact.  There 
were  no  attentive  menials  awaiting  his  disembarkation 
on  the  opposite  shore,  with  ready  services  and  obsequi- 
ous words.  He  went  to  meet  misery,  famine,  and  mad- 
ness ;  but  as  he  stood  erect  in  the  boat,  he  cast  not  one 
look  behind  to  the  safe  asylum  which  he  had  left — he 
waved  his  arm  encouragingly  towards  the  sinking  city — 
he  urged  on  his  panting  and  trembling  boatmen — and 
after  a  weary  and  perilous  passage,  his  little  bark  began 
to  thread  the  streets  of  Pesth. 

No  sooner  had  his  appearance  brought  comfort  to  the 
sufferers — for  there  must  have  been  comfort  in  the 
conviction  that  abandonment  was  not  superadded  to 
misery — than  he  vigorously  applied  himself  to  the  task 
of  mitigating  the  wretchedness  by  which  he  was  sur- 
rounded. With  his  own  hands,  he  distributed  the 
bread  with  which  his  boat  was  laden;  he  had  a  kind 
and  a  hopeful  word  for  all ;  and  it  is  certain  that  the 
exertions  and  sympathy  of  the  Palatinate  family  on  the 
occasion  of  this  dreadful  calamity,  will  be  as  durably 
impressed  upon  the  hearts  of  the  inhabitants  of  Pesth, 
as  though  they  had  been  graven  upon  marble. 

Pesth  has  since  been  partly  rebuilt  in  a  style  of  great 
beauty,  and  on  a  plan  more  secure  than  formerly,  and 
is  now  one  of  the  most  attractive  places  of  residence 
in  Europe. 


VISIT   TO    A   SILVER   MINE.  37 


VISIT  TO  A  SILVER  MINE. 

Miss  Pa.ri>oe,  in  the  course  of  her  tour,  visited  the  celebrated  sil- 
ver mine  of  Bacherstollen,  at  Schemnitz,  of  which  she  gives  the 
following  vivid  account.  She  was  accompanied  by  M.  de  Svaiczer, 
the  supreme  count  of  the  mines  of  the  district. 

Our  first  object  was,  of  course,  a  descent  into  the 
subterranean  wonders  of  which  M.  de  Svaiczer  was 
the  guardian ;  and  the  entrance  nearest  to  the  city 
being  by  the  mouth  of  the  extensive  mine  called 
Bacherstollen,  it  was  at  once  decided  that  we  should 
visit  it  on  the  morrow ;  and,  meanwhile,  we  learned 
that  there  existed  a  communication  throughout  the 
whole  chain  extending  for  nearly  fifty  English  miles ; 
the  mine  of  Bacherstollen  alone  occupying  a  surface  of 
about  one  thousand  square  fathoms ;  its  depth  being 
two  hundred,  and  the  average  number  of  miners  em- 
ployed in  it  from  three  hundred  and  fifty  to  four  hun- 
dred. 

By  six  o'clock  the  following  morning  we  were  all 
astir ;  and  armed  with  a  change  of  clothes  for  me,  we 
sallied  forth  to  the  accountant's  office,  where  we  were 
to  be  furnished  with  mining  dresses  for  the  gentlemen, 
and  our  guides  with  lamps  for  our  underground  journey. 
There  we  were  joined  by  a  young  Milanese  count,  a 
student  at  the  university ;  and  although  three  hand- 
somer men  will  be  rarely  seen  together  than  the  com- 
panions of  my  intended  expedition,  yet  when  they  came 
forth  in  their  leathern  aprons,  black  caps,  and  coarse 
jackets  with  padded  sleeves,  all  encrusted  with  yellow 
clay,  I  began  to  fancy  that  I  must  have  suddenly 
fallen  among  banditti ;  nor  was  the  conceit  diminished 
when  the  miners,  who  were  to  accompany  us,  joined 


38  VISIT   TO   A   SILVER  MINE. 

the  party,  with  their  smoking  lamps  in  their  hands, 
and,  if  possible,  ten  times  wilder  and  filthier-looking 
than  the  gentlemen. 

Away  we  went,  however ;  and  ere  we  had  taken  a 
hundred  steps,  we  were  in  utter  darkness.  A  low  door 
had  been  passed,  a  narrow  gallery  had  been  traversed, 
a  few  stairs  had  been  descended,  and  we  were  as  tho- 
roughly cut  off  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  as  far  as  our 
outward  perceptions  were  concerned,  as  though  we  had 
never  held  fellowship  with  them.  We  were  moving 
along  a  passage,  not  blasted,  but  hewn  in  the  rock, 
dripping  with  moisture,  and  occasionally  so  low  as  to 
compel  us  to  bend  our  heads  in  order  to  pass ;  while 
beneath  our  feet  rushed  along  a  stream  of  water  which 
had  overflowed  the  channel  prepared  for  it,  and  flooded 
the  solitary  plank  upon  which  we  walked. 

But  this  circumstance,  although  producing  discom- 
fort for  the  first  few  moments,  was  of  little  ultimate 
consequence,  for  the  large  drops  that  exuded  from  the 
roof  and  sides  of  the  gallery,  and  continually  fell  upon 
us  as  we  passed,  soon  placed  us  beyond  the  reach  of 
annoyance  from  wet  feet,  by  reducing  us  to  one  mass 
of  moisture. 

So  far  all  had  been  easy  :  we  had  only  to  move  on  in 
Indian  file,  every  alternate  person  carrying  a  lamp,  to 
avoid  striking  our  heads  against  the  protruding  masses 
of  rock,  and  endeavouring  not  to  slide  off  the  plank  into 
the  channel  beneath,  and  thus  make  ourselves  still  more 
wet  and  dirty  than  we  were.  But  this  comparative 
luxury  was  soon  to  end,  for  ere  long  we  arrived  at  the 
ladders  which  conduct  from  one  hemisphere  to  another, 
and  by  which  the  miners  ascend  or  descend  to  their 
work.  Then  began  the  real  labour  of  our  undertaking. 
Each  ladder  was  based  on  a  small  platform,  where  a 
square  hole  sawn  away  in  the  planks  made  an  outlet  to 


VISIT    TO    A   SILVER    MINE.  39 

arrive  at  the  next ;  and  as  these  had  been  constructed 
solely  for  the  use  of  the  workmen,  it  was  by  no  means 
easy  to  secure  a  firm  footing  upon  all  of  them,  particu- 
larly as  the  water  was  trickling  down  in  every  direc- 
tion, and  our  hands  stuck  to  the  rails,  which  were 
encrusted  with  soil. 

When  we  arrived,  heated  and  panting,  at  the  bottom 
of  the  first  hemisphere,  the  chief  miner  led  the  way 
through  an  exhausted  gallery,  whence  the  ore  had  been 
long  since  removed,  and  which  yawned  dark,  and  cold, 
and  silent,  like  the  entrance  to  the  world  of  graves. 
The  half-dozen  lamps  which  were  raised  to  show  us  the 
opening,  barely  sufficed  to  light  the  chasm  for  fifty  feet. 
The  distance  defied  their  feeble  power ;  but  the  jagged 
and  fantastic  outline  of  the  walls,  partly  blasted,  and 
partly  hewn  away  where  the  practised  hammers  of  the 
workmen  had  followed  up  a  vein  of  ore,  seemed  to  my 
excited  fancy  to  take  strange  and  living  shapes  as  the 
heavy  smoke  of  the  lamps  curled  over  them — bats  and 
serpents  clung  to  the  ceiling — phantoms  of  men  and 
beasts  supported  the  walls — and  in  the  midst  moved 
along  a  train  of  wizard  beings,  neither  men  nor  demons. 

To  the  right  of  this  gallery  opened  another  vast 
cavern,  cumbered  with  large  masses  of  rock,  but  of 
which  we  could  see  the  whole  extent.  This  was  what 
is  technically  called  in  t^ie  mines  a  "  false  blast," 
where,  after  having  made  an  opening,  the  miners  ascer- 
tained that  the  ore  had  taken  another  direction,  and  that 
this  was  mere  rock,  which  it  was  useless  to  work  fur- 
ther. Hence  we  passed  through  another  gallery  similar 
to  the  first,  except  that  it  had  been  produced  by  blasting, 
and  that  the  various  nature  of  the  rock  had  rendered 
it  necessary  to  line  it  in  many  spots  with  stout  timber. 

The  sight  of  these  precautions  gave  me  an  uncom- 
fortable feeling,  for  their  very  necessity  implied  a  cer- 


40  VISIT   TO   A   SILVER   MINE. 

tain  degree  of  danger ;  and  although  cowardice  is  not 
my  besetting  sin,  I  confess  that  I  should  not  like  to  oc- 
cupy quite  so  capacious  a  grave  as  the  mine  of  Bacher- 
stollen. 

Another  set  of  ladders,  as  steep  and  as  sticky  as  the 
last,  admitted  us  to  the  second  hemisphere;  and  on 
reaching  it  we  came  almost  immediately  upon  a  gallery 
in  which  the  ore  had  been  followed  up,  until  the  vein 
had  become  exhausted.  In  order  to  enter  it,  we  clam- 
bered over  the  large  masses  of  stone  which  had  been 
severed  from  the  rock  by  blasting ;  and  when  we  were 
fairly  gathered  together  in  this  gloomy  cavern,  for  such 
it  really  was,  and  when  our  guides  raised  their  lamps, 
and  moved  them  rapidly  along  the  roof  and  sides  of  the 
chasm,  it  was  beautiful  to  see  the  bright  particles  of 
silver  flash  back  the  light,  and  to  follow  the  sinuous 
course  of  the  precious  metal,  which  was  so  clearly  de- 
fined by  these  glittering  fragments. 

Many  large  lumps  of  rock  were  also  strewn  beneath 
our  feet,  which  appeared  to  pave  the  earth  with  stars, 
but  they  had  not  been  considered  sufficiently  full  of  ore 
to  render  them  worthy  of  being  transported  from  the 
surface.  These  exhausted  galleries  are  gradually  re- 
filled with  soil  and  stone  in  the  process  of  mining,  as 
the  rubbish  removed  from  every  new  excavation  is  flung 
into  them ;  by  no  means  a  disagreeable  reflection,  I 
should  imagine,  to  the  inhabitants  of  Schemnitz,  whose 
dwellings  stand  immediately  above  a  portion  of  the 
Bacherstollen. 

It  was  curious  enough  when  on  one  occasion  we  came 
upon  an  immense  iron  pipe  cutting  through  the  side  of 
the  gallery  along  which  we  were  passing,  to  see  M.  de 
Csapoj  stop  before  it,  and  announce  that  it  was  that  of 
the  town-pump,  in  the  centre  of  a  square  which  we  had 
traversed  in  the  morning ;  and  a  little  farther  on,  that 


VISIT    TO    A     SILVER   MINE.  41 

we  were  standing  under  the  house  of  the  supreme  count, 
with  whom,  on  our  return  to  the  surface  of  the  earth, 
we  were  to  dine. 

Shortly  after  passing  this  point,  I  perceived  that  a 
very  earnest  discussion  was  taking  place  among  my  con- 
ductors ;  nor  was  I  long  in  discovering,  from  the  fre- 
quent and  hesitating  glances  which  the  chief  miner 
turned  upon  me,  that  I  was  its  subject.  As  a  matter 
of  course,  under  these  circumstances,  I  begged  to  be 
made  a  party  in  the  consultation,  when  I  ascertained 
that  some  doubt  had  arisen  whether  I  should  be  per- 
mitted to  descend  lower,  as  I  had  now  arrived  at  as 
great  a  depth  as  any  lady  had  yet  attempted ;  but  I  had 
no  inclination  to  stop  short  so  soon  in  my  undertaking, 
and  when  I  found  that  I  was  the  first  Englishwoman 
who  had  ever  entered  the  Bacherstollen,  I  pleaded  my 
privilege  accordingly ;  but  it  appeared  that  they  feared 
the  displeasure  of  M.  de  Svaiczer,  as  the  miners  be- 
neath us  were  employed  in  blasting  the  rock  in  every 
direction. 

As  it  was,  however,  quite  impossible  that  I  should 
consent  to  leave  the  mine  without  witnessing  this  the 
grandest  exhibition  which  it  could  offer,  I  only  insisted 
the  more  strongly  on  the  assurance  which  I  had  received 
from  himself,  that  every  thing  should  be  done  that  I 
desired ;  and  satisfied,  when  rid  of  the  responsibility, 
the  miner  once  more  led  the  way  to  the  ladders,  and 
we  commenced  our  third  descent — the  only  variation 
being  produced  by  an  intense  feeling  of  heat,  increasing 
as  we  got  lower,  and  a  suffocating  smell  of  sulphur, 
the  natural  effects  of  the  work  which  was  going  on, 
two  hundred  explosions  having  already  taken  place  since 
sunrise.  The  result  of  the  blasting,  as  regarded  the 
ore,  had  not  yet  been  fully  ascertained,  but  there  was 
4 


42  VISIT    TO    A    SILVER   MINE. 

every  reason  to  believe  that  it  had  been  very  satisfac- 
tory. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  bottom,  the  sensation  was 
all  but  suffocating ;  the  dense  vapours  seemed  to  fold. 
themselves  about  our  wet  garments,  and  in  a  few  se^ 
conds  we  were  enveloped  in  a  steam  which  produced 
intense  perspiration,  and  a  faint  sickness  that  compelled 
us  to  disburden  ourselves  of  all  the  wraps  by  which  we 
had  sought  protection  against  the  damps  above. 

For  a  time  we  all  stood  still,  quite  unable  to  pene- 
trate farther ;  and  even  those  of  the  party  who  were 
accustomed  to  encounter  the  confined  air  of  the  galle- 
ries, were  glad  of  a  moment's  rest;  for  the  explosions 
had  followed  each  other  with  such  rapidity,  that  the 
atmosphere  had  as  yet  had  no  time  to  relieve  itself  of 
the  sulphurous  vapour  with  which  it  was  burdened,  and 
which  created  an  exudation  from  the  rock,  that  brought 
the  water  down  upon  us  in  large  tepid  drops  in  all  direc- 
tions. 

We  spent  upwards  of  an  hour  in  strolling  through 
this  section  of  the  mine,  in  order  to  give  time  to  the 
workmen  for  completing  a  bore  on  which  they  were 
labouring,  to  enable  me  to  witness  a  blast — our  con- 
ductor obligingly  putting  more  hands  to  the  work  to 
expedite  its  completion;  and  during  this  hour  we  only 
encountered  three  miners,  although  nearly  three  hundred 
were  at  the  moment  employed  in  that  particular  hemis- 
phere— a  fact  which  will  give  you  a  better  idea  of  this 
subterranean  wilderness  than  any  attempt  to  describe 
its  extent. 

There  was  something  almost  infernal  in  the  picture 
which  presented  itself,  when  we  at  length  returned  to 
the  spot  where  the  next  blast  was  to  take  place.  A 
vast  chasm  of  dark  rock  was  terminated  by  a  wooden 
platform,  on  which   stood   the  workmen,  armed  with 


VISIT    TO    A    SILVER    MINE.  43 

heavy  iron  crow-bars,  whose  every  blow  against  the 
living  stone  gave  back  a  sound  like  thunder.  One  small 
lamp,  suspended  by  a  hook  to  a  projecting  fragment, 
served  to  light  them  to  their  labour ;  and  it  was  painful 
to  see  their  bare  and  sinewy  arms  wield  the  ponderous 
instrument,  which  at  each  stroke  sent  a  quiver  through- 
out their  whole  frame.  I  ascended  this  platform,  which 
was  raised  about  six  feet  from  the  rock-cumbered  floor 
of  the  gallery,  in  order  to  see  the  process  of  stopping 
the  bore,  and  thence  I  had  a  fall  view  of  the  frightful 
scene  presented  by  the  vault. 

At  length  the  bore  was  completed,  and  a  small  can- 
vass bag  of  gunpowder  was  inserted  into  the  hollow, 
nothing  remaining  to  be  done  but  to  aid  the  fire  by 
which  it  was  to  be  exploded.  This  is  applied  in  a  sub- 
stance which  it  requires  some  seconds  to  penetrate,  in 
order  to  give  the  workmen  time  to  retreat  to  a  place  of 
safety.  We,  of  course,  declined  to  remain  for  this  lat- 
ter ceremony ;  and  made  our  way,  before  the  insertion 
of  the  inflammable  matter,  to  the  spot  which  had  been 
already  decided  on  as  that  whence  we  might  safely 
await  the  explosion — a  large  opening*  situate  behind  an 
abrupt  projection,  where  an  exhausted  gallery  termi- 
nated, and  where  no  mass  of  rock  could  reach  us  in 
its  fall — and  we  had  scarcely  crowded  together  in  our 
retreat,  ere  we  were  followed  by  the  workmen  at  the 
top  of  their  speed,  who,  after  having  secured  the  aper- 
ture which  it  had  cost  them  so  many  hours  of  labour  to 
effect,  had  rushed  to  the  same  spot  for  safety  from  the 
effects  of  their  own  toil. 

There  we  remained  for  full  three  minutes  in  silence, 
listening  to  the  quick  panting  of  these  our  new  asso- 
ciates, ere  the  mighty  rock,  riven  asunder  by  the  agency 
and  cupidity  of  man,  yielded  to  a  power  against  which, 
after  centuries  of  existence,  it  yet  lacked  the  power  to 


44  VISIT    TO    A   SILVER    MINE. 

contend,  and  with  gigantic  throes  gave  up  the  hidden 
treasures  it  had  so  long  concealed. 

I  need  not  explain  that  this  last  explosion  had  by  no 
means  improved  the  nature  of  the  atmosphere,  and  we 
were  accordingly  not  slow  in  preparing  to  depart.  But 
my  entreaties  to  descend  yet  lower  proved  abortive ; 
not  an  individual  of  the  party  would  listen  to  me  ;  and 
I  found  myself  compelled  to  obey,  from  sheer  incapa- 
city to  persist ;  and  I  knew,  moreover,  that  I  must  hus- 
band my  powers  of  persuasion  in  order  to  induce  my 
companions  to  permit  me  to  ascend  by  the  chain,  an 
operation  so  formidable  that  it  had  never  yet  been  con- 
templated by  one  of  my  own  sex. 

To  me,  the  ascent  by  tiers  of  six  and  thirty  ladders 
appeared  infinitely  more  distressing  than  any  process 
where  violent  bodily  exertion  was  rendered  unnecessary 
by  machinery ;  and  I  consequently  felt  no  inclination 
to  retreat  when  I  was  requested  to  look  up  and  down 
the  shaft,  near  the  centre  of  which  I  stood,  and  to  exa- 
mine the  chain  by  which  I  was  to  be  drawn  up,  and  the 
leathern  strap  upon  which  I  was  to  be  seated. 

There  could  be  no  positive  danger  where  both  were 
solid ;  and  it  was  perfectly  clear,  that  if  barrels  of  ore 
could  be  drawn  up  by  the  same  means,  my  weight,  and 
that  of  the  miner  who  was  to  ascend  with  me,  must  be 
very  inconsiderable  in  comparison.  I  therefore  only 
requested  that  the  apparatus  might  be  got  ready ;  and, 
amid  the  wondering  murmur  of  the  men  who  steadied 
the  chain,  took  my  seat  upon  the  sling,  and  having  been 
raised  about  six  feet  above  the  mouth  of  the  trap,  hung 
suspended  until  my  companion  followed  my  example. 

We  then  commenced  our  ascent ;  and  although  the 
sensation  was  very  peculiar,  it  did  not  strike  me  that 
it  was  one  calculated  to  create  terror.  All  was  dark 
above,  and,  save  the  lamp  which  was  attached  to  the 


HELLVELLYN.  4d 

arm  of  my  companion,  all  was  dark  below  ;  consequent- 
ly there  was  nothing  in  the  aspect  of  the  shaft  to  shake 
the  nerves.  The  only  inconvenience  arose  from  the 
occasional  twisting  of  the  chain,  which,  from  its  great 
length  (nearly  six  hundred  feet),  occasionally  swung  us 
suddenly  round,  and  then  righted  itself  with  a  jerk, 
when  we  had  to  guard  our  knees  from  contact  with  the 
timbers  which  lined  the  sides  of  the  pit;  but  save  this 
temporary  drawback,  the  motion  was  rather  agreeable, 
and,  wet  and  weary  as  I  was,  I  should  have  preferred 
ascending  thus  half  a  dozen  times,  to  braving  the  fatigue 
of  the  ladders. 

It  is  impossible  to  imagine  what  scarecrows  we  were 
when  the  light  of  day  once  more  shone  upon  us,  nor 
how  oppressive  the  heat  of  the  sun  appeared  when  we 
emerged  from  the  mouth  of  the  mine  :  as  for  me,  I 
could  scarcely  move  under  the  weight  of  my  clinging 
garments,  and  did  not  recover  from  my  exhaustion  until 
I  had  plunged  in  a  tepid  bath ;  by  whose  beneficial  effects 
I  was,  after  an  hour's  repose,  enabled  to  prepare  for  M. 
Svaiczer's  dinner. 


HELLVELLYN. 

In  the  spring  of  1805,  a  young  gentleman  of  rank  and  talents,  and  of 
a  most  amiable  disposition,  perished  by  losing  his  way  on  the 
mountain  Hellvellyn.  His  remains  were  not  discovered  till  three 
months  afterwards,  when  they  were  found  guarded  by  a  faithful 
dog,  his  constant  attendant  during  frequent  solitary  rambles 
through  the  wilds  of  Cumberland  and  Westmoreland. 

I  climb'd  the  dark  brow  of  the  mighty  Hellvellyn, 
Lakes  and  mountains  beneath  me  gleam'd  misty  and 
wide  ; 

All  was  still,  save  by  fits  when  the  eagle  was  yelling, 
And  starting  around  me  the  echoes  replied. 


46 


HELLVELLYN. 


On  the  right,   Striden-edge  round  the  Red-tarn  was 

bending, 
And  Catchedicam  its  left  verge  was  defending, 
One  huge  nameless  rock  in  the  front  was  ascending, 

When  I  marked  the  sad  spot  where  the  wanderer 
had  died. 
Dark  green  was   that  spot  'mid   the  brown  mountain 
heather, 

Where  the  Pilgrim  of  Nature  lay  stretch'd  in  decay, 
Like  the  corpse  of  an  outcast  abandon'd  to  weather, 

Till  the  mountain  winds  wasted  the  tenantless  clay. 
Nor  yet  quite  deserted,  though  lonely  extended, 
For,  faithful  in  death,  his  mute  favourite  attended, 
The  much  loved  remains  of  her  master  defended, 

And  chased  the  hill  fox  and  the  raven  away. 

How  long  didst  thou  think  that  his  silence  was  slumber] 
When  the  wind  waved  his  garment  how  oft  didst 
thou  start  1 
How  many  long  days  and  long  weeks  didst  thou  number, 

Ere  he  faded  before  thee,  the  friend  of  thy  heart  1 

And,  Oh,  was  it  meet  that — no  requiem  read  o'er  him, 

No  mother  to  weep,  and  no  friend  to  deplore  him, 

And  thou,  little  guardian,  alone  stretched  before  him — 

Unhonoured  the  Pilgrim  from  life  should  depart  % 

When  a  Prince  to  the  fate  of  the  Peasant  has  yielded, 
The  tapestry  waves  dark  round  the  dim-lighted  hall ; 

With  scutcheons  of  silver  the  coffin  is  shielded, 
And  pages  stand  mute  by  the  canopied  pall : 

Through  the  courts,  at  deep   midnight,  the  torches  are 
gleaming  ; 

In  the  proudly-arched  chambers  the  banners  are  beaming. 

Far  ad  own  the  long  aisle  sacred  music  is  streaming, 
Lamenting  a  chief  of  the  people  should  fall. 


BURNS.  47 

But  meeter  for  thee,  gentle  lover  of  nature, 

To  lay  down  thy  head  like  the  meek  mountain  lamb, 
When,  wilder'd,  he  drops  from  some  cliff  huge  in  sta- 
ture, 
And  draws  his  last  sigh  by  the  side  of  his  dam. 
And  more  stately  thy  couch  by  this  desert  lake  lying, 
Thy  obsequies  sung  by  the  grey  plover  flying, 
With  one  faithful  friend  but  to  witness  thy  dying 
In  the  arms  of  Hellvellyn  and  Catchedicam. 

Scott. 


BURNS. 


— When  He  breathes  his  master  lay 
Of  Alloway's  witch-haunted  wall, 

All  passions  in  our  frame  of  clay 
Come  thronging  at  his  call. 

All  ask  the  cottage  of  his  birth, 

Gaze  on  the  scenes  he  loved  and  sung ; 

And  gather  feelings,  not  of  earth, 
His  fields  and  streams  among. 

They  linger  by  the  Doon's  low  trees, 
And  pastoral  Nith,  and  wooded  Ayr, 

And  round  thy  sculptures,  Dumfries  ! — 
The  Poet's  tomb  is  there. 

But  what  to  them  the  sculptor's  art, 

His  funeral  columns,  wreaths,  and  urus  1 

Wear  they  not,  graven  on  the  heart, 
The  name  of  Robert  Burns? 

Halleck. 


48 


BEAR  HUNTING  IN  SWEDEN. 

We  are  Indebted  to  Lloyd's  "Field  Sports  of  the  North  of  Europe" 
for  the  following  exciting  details,  respecting  the  chase  of  the  Scan- 
dinavian bear,  rather  a  rough  antagonist  to  encounter  in  his  native 
forests.  A  party  of  five,  including  the  author,  started  off"  to  the 
scene  of  action,  but  were  for  some  time  unsuccessful  in  meeting 
with  the  grisly  denizen  of  the  woods. 

After  resting  for  about  half  an  hour,  we  again  re- 
sumed the  search  for  the  bears,  which  we  continued 
until  near  three  o'clock,  when  it  was  beginning  to  get 
dusk.  At  this  time  I  was  to  the  right  of  the  line,  which 
was  proceeding  in  a  westerly  direction  ;  when,  in  the 
distance  to  the  northward,  and  in  a  part  of  the  forest 
we  had  not  yet  beaten,  I  heard  my  old  dog  Paijas  giving 
tongue ;  this  he  did  in  such  a  manner,  that  I  had  more 
than  a  suspicion  he  had  found  what  we  had  so  long 
been  in  search  of.  I  now  lost  not  a  moment,  but,  leav- 
ing the  people,  ran  as  fast  as  the  broken  nature  of  the 
ground  would  permit,  towards  the  spot  where  the  dog 
was  challenging,  which  might  be  at  one  hundred  and 
fifty  to  two  hundred  paces  distance.  This  was  in  a 
rather  thick  part  of  the  forest,  and  in  a  clump  of  pines, 
around  the  foot  of  which,  though  at  some  paces  distant 
— for  he  probably  remembered  the  rough  treatment  he 
had  received  upon  a  former  occasion — Paijas  still  kept 
furiously  baying.  Though  the  dog  had  found  the 
bears,  I  did  not  at  the  first  moment  observe  the  en- 
trance to  their  den,  which  was  an  excavation  in  the 
face  of  a  little  rising,  situated  between  and  partly  formed 
by  the  roots  of  the  surrounding  trees.  But  on  discover- 
ing it,  I  at  once  sprang  on  to  the  top  of  the  hillock; 
and  though  at  that  time  immediately  over  the  den,  the 
bears  still  remained  quiet.     On  my  hallooing,  they  felt 


BEAR  HUNTING  IN  SWEDEN. 


49 


so  little  inclination  to  leave  their  quarters,  that  the  old 
bear  simply  contented  herself  with  partially  projecting 
her  snout.  At  this,  from  its  being  the  only  point  ex- 
posed to  my  view,  I  levelled  my  rifle,  which  was  then 
pointed  in  a  perpendicular  direction.  On  reflection, 
however,  I  refrained  from  firing,  as  I  considered  that, 
though  I  might  have  smashed  the  forepart  of  her  head 
to  pieces,  there  was  little  chance  of  my  killing  her  out- 
right. Instead,  therefore,  of  firing  whilst  in  that  situa- 
tion, I  stepped  (and  it  certainly  was  not  "  the  most 
prudent  step"  a  man  ever  took),  with  my  left  foot  in 
advance,  directly  over  her,  to  the  opposite  side  of  the 
hole,  when  wheeling  about  on  the  instant,  and  having 
then  a  full  view  of  her  head,  from  which  the  muzzle 
of  my  gun  was  hardly  two  feet  distant,  and  my  left  foot 
still  less,  for  it  was  partially  in  the  entrance  to  the  den 
itself,  I  sent  a  bullet  through  her  skull.  I  now  called 
loudly  to  the  people,  none  of  whom,  nor  even  the  other 
dogs,  which  had  been  questing  to  some  birds  in  another 
part  of  the  forest,  had  as  yet  come  up — for  I  was  rather 
apprehensive  the  cubs  might  attempt  to  make  their 
escape.  To  prevent  this,  I  stood  for  a  while  over  the 
den,  in  readiness  to  give  them  a  warm  reception  with  the 
butt-end  of  my  rifle.  But  three  or  four  minutes  elapsed 
before  Jan  Finne,  who  was  to  the  left  of  our  line,  Svens- 
son,  and  the  peasants,  made  their  appearance  ;  for, 
strange  to  say,  though  Paijas  had  been  in  Jan  Finne's 
possession  for  several  years,  he  either  did  not  recognise 
his  challenge,  or  he  had  not  a  suspicion  it  was  to  the 
bears ;  and,  in  consequence,  neither  he  nor  the  people 
moved  from  where  I  had  left  them  until  they  heard 
my  shot.  My  apprehensions  as  to  the  cubs  attempt- 
ing to  escape  were,  however,  groundless,  for  they  still 
continued  quiet ;  at  first,  indeed  we  could  see  nothing 
of  them  ;  for  the  old   bear,  as  is  usual  with  those  ani- 


50  BEAR  HUNTING  IN  SWEDEN. 

mals  when  they  have  young,  was  lying  in  the  front 
of  the  den,  and  we,  therefore,  almost  began  to  think 
we  had  hit  upon  a  bear  distinct  from  those  of  which 
we  were  in  search.  But  on  the  people  introducing  a 
stake,  and  moving  the  old  bear  a  little  to  the  side,  one 
of  the  cubs,  and  subsequently  a  second,  and  a  third,  ex- 
hibited themselves,  all  of  which  I  despatched,  either  with 
my  own,  or  with  Jan  Finne's  rifle.  The  work  of  death 
being  at  length  completed,  we  drew  the  bears  out  of  their 
den.  This,  however,  was  of  such  small  dimensions,  that 
it  was  the  admiration  of  us  all  how  they  could  have 
stowed  themselves  away  in  it.  Bears  usually  prepare 
their  winter-quarters  during  the  autumnal  months,  and 
some  time  previously  to  taking  possession  of  them  ;  but 
the  animals,  of  which  I  am  now  speaking,  having  been 
disturbed  from  their  original  lair  at  a  time  when  the 
ground  was  hard  frozen,  and  when  it  was,  of  course, 
much  more  difficult  to  imbed  themselves  in  the  earth, 
probably  accounted  for  the  small  size  of  the  excavation 
in  which  we  found  them.  The  old  bear  had  attained 
her  full  growth ;  the  cubs  were  nearly  a  year  old,  and 
of  about  the  size  of  large  dogs.  The  whole  of  them 
were  in  tolerably  good  condition. 

The  following  singular  adventure  happened  to  one  of  Mr.  Lloyd's 
attendants,  named  Elg.  He  had  been  a  bear-hunter  all  his  life;  and, 
what  was  surprising,  had  never  been  wounded  by  any  of  these  ani- 
mals, though,  in  the  encounter  about  to  be  related,  he  incurred  some 
danger. 

It  was  in  the  setting-in  of  the  winter,  and  when  the 
ground  was  but  slightly  covered  with  snow,  that  Elg 
and  another  peasant  started  off  in  company  for  a  very 
wild  range  of  country  to  the  southward  of  Brunberg,  in 
the  hopes  that  they  might  fall  in  with  and  ring  the  track 
of  a  bear ;  this  being,  as  I  have  said,  the  most  proper 


BEAR    HUNTING   IN    SWEDEN.  51 

season  for  that  purpose.  But  their  search  proved  un- 
successful; and  after  the  lapse  of  four  or  five  days, 
during  which  they  had  either  bivouacked  on  the  ground 
or  quartered  at  Satserwells,  their  provision  being  ex- 
hausted, they  separated  for  their  respective  houses.  In 
the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  and  when  Elg  was  alone 
in  a  very  wild  part  of  the  country,  covered  with  much 
fallen  timber  and  immense  fragments  of  stone,  he  sud- 
denly came  upon  the  track  of  a  bear  ;  the  next  minute, 
and  within  a  short  distance  from  where  he  stood,  he 
discovered  in  a  cleft  of  a  great  mass  of  rocks,  the  den 
of  the  animal.  As  he  had  no  confidence,  however,  in 
the  lock  of  his  rifle,  he  did  not  care  to  go  immediately 
up  to  the  den  ;  he  therefore  mounted  a  pretty  high  stone, 
immediately  overlooking  it,  at  about  fifteen  paces  dis- 
tant. From  this  position  he  discovered  the  bear  lying 
fast  asleep  near  the  entrance  of  the  den ;  and  as  he  got 
sight  of  her  ear,  under  which  is  one  of  the  most  fatal 
places,  he  lost  no  time  in  levelling  and  discharging  his 
rifle.  For  a  moment  after  he  had  fired  the  bear  lay  still, 
and,  in  consequence,  Elg  almost  imagined  she  (for  it 
was  a  female)  was  killed ;  had  he  thought  otherwise, 
he  would  have  had  ample  time  to  get  out  of  her  way ; 
but  presently  the  beast  raised  herself  up,  when,  fixing 
her  eyes  steadily  upon  him,  and  uttering  at  the  same 
time  a  terrific  growl,  she  dashed  at  him  (to  use  his  own 
expression)  "  with  the  rapidity  of  a  bullet  out  of  a  gun," 
and  was  close  upon  him  in  almost  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye.  Very  fortunately  for  Elg  the  stone  on  which  he 
was  standing  was  situate  in  a  declivity,  the  after  part 
of  it  being  some  five  or  six  feet  from  the  ground ;  down 
this,  in  his  hurry  to  escape,  he  tumbled  all  but  head- 
long. It  was  well  he  did  so,  for  the  bear,  followed  by 
two  of  her  cubs,  which  were  more  than  half  as  large  as 
lur-w  If,  almost  at  the  same  instant  made  her  spring,  and 


52  ANTS. 

passed  clean  and  far  over  him.  In  this  situation  Elg 
lay  for  a  short  while,  frightened,  as  he  said,  almost  out 
of  his  senses ;  when  rinding  all  quiet,  and  supposing, 
as  was  the  case,  that  the  bears,  from  not  seeing  him, 
had  taken  themselves  off  to  another  part  of  the  forest, 
he  ventured  to  get  up,  and  to  reconnoitre  the  den ;  he 
then  discovered  that,  besides  the  three  which  had  made 
a  leaping-bar  of  his  person,  a  fourth  had  taken  an  op- 
posite direction.  Though  all  four  bears  for  this  time 
made  their  escape,  yet,  in  the  course  of  eight  or  ten  suc- 
cessive weeks,  Elg,  with  the  assistance  of  several  other 
peasants,  managed  to  kill  the  whole  of  them.  On 
taking  the  skin  from  the  old  bear,  which  he  described 
to  have  been  of  a  very  large  size,  he  found  the  ball 
which  he  had  fired  at  her  flattened  out,  and  set  fast  on 
the  back  of  her  skull.  By  this  it  would  appear  that  he 
had  mistaken  the  position  in  which  she  was  lying,  so 
that,  instead  of  aiming  at  the  root  of  her  ear,  as  he 
imagined  was  the  case,  he  had  fired  at  her  lengthwise. 
Had  his  ball,  however,  been  of  any  moderate  size,  this 
would  not  have  been  of  much  consequence  ;  for  if  his 
gun  was  properly  loaded,  I  take  it  that,  at  so  short  a 
distance,  her  head  would  have  been  split  in  pieces. 


ANTS.— THEIR  CHARACTERISTICS  AND  ECONOMY. 

There  are  many  different  varieties  and  species  of  ants, 
generally  taking  their  names  from  their  colour  and  pecu- 
liar habits — as  the  brown  ant,  the  mason  ant,  the  white 
ant,  the  carpenter  ant,  &c. ;  they  also  differ  in  size,  the 
largest  and  the  most  extraordinary  in  character  being 
found  in  Africa  and  other  warm  climates.  The  princi- 
pal feature  in  the  character  of  ants  is  their  living  in 
societies  or  communities.   In  this  respect  they  resemble 


ANTS.  53 

bees,  who  cannot  live  alone  like  spiders,  and  many 
other  insects.  In  examining  the  communities  of  the 
white  ant,  it  is  found  that  they  each  consist  of  at  least 
four  different  descriptions  of  inhabitants,  each  of  which 
has  its  own  peculiar  duties  to  perform.  The  most  nu- 
merous class  is  that  of  workers,  who  build  and  repair 
the  nests  or  houses,  forage  for  provisions,  and  attend  on 
the  eggs  and  the  young.  These  workers  are  neither 
male  nor  female,  but  rather  incline  to  the  character  of 
females.  The  next  class  are  soldiers,  who  are  distinctly 
of  neither  sex.  They  are  much  larger  than  the  workers, 
and  are  furnished  with  a  pair  of  claws  or  mandibles, 
like  two  sharp  little  awls,  projected  from  the  head,  and 
capable  of  inflicting  a  deadly  wound.  These  soldiers 
do  not  work  ;  and  if  they  wanted  the  assistance  of  the 
workers,  which  supply  them  with  food,  they  would 
soon  starve.  Their  duty  is  to  fight  on  all  occasions 
that  the  community  is  in  danger  of  attack ;  to  go  out 
on  warlike  expeditions ;  to  stand  as  sentinels  at  the 
doors  of  the  houses ;  in  short,  they  are  the  guardians 
of  the  other  classes  who  cannot  fight  for  themselves. 
The  other  classes  are  the  males  and  the  females ;  but 
it  is  said  that  there  is  only  one  mother  in  the  whole 
community,  and  that,  like  the  queen  bee,  she  is  treated 
with  a  vast  deal  of  respect  and  attention.  As  soon 
as  she  lays  the  eggs,  the  workers  carry  them  off  to 
nurseries,  where  they  are  hatched.  It  is  observed  by 
naturalists,  that  in  these  ant-communities  no  part  of 
the  population  exerts  any  authority  over  the  rest.  The 
soldiers  do  not  tyrannize  over  the  workers,  nor  show 
any  insolence  in  their  gait  over  those  who  furnish  the 
food  and  lodgings ;  neither  do  the  workers  presume 
upon  their  utility  as  labourers  ;  while  the  queen  ant  is 
quite  passive  among  the  rest.  By  the  most  unerring 
instinct,  each  of  these  little  creatures  knows  its  own 


54  ANTS. 

duties,  and  performs  them.  The  only  idlers  are  the 
males  ;  and  as  they  will  not  work,  they  are  generally 
left  to  starve  soon  after  they  are  hatched.  We  are 
told  that  nothing  can  exceed  the  affection  of  ants  to- 
wards their  common  mother  the  queen.  In  whatever 
apartment  in  the  nest  she  chooses  to  be  present,  a  gene- 
ral gladness  prevails,  expressed  by  acts  of  joy  and  ex- 
ultation. The  ants  have  a  peculiar  way  of  skipping, 
leaping,  and  standing  upon  their  hind  legs,  and  pranc- 
ing with  the  others.  These  frolics  they  make  use  of, 
both  to  congratulate  each  other  when  they  meet,  and  to 
show  their  regard  for  the  queen.  Some  of  them  gently 
walk  over  her ;  others  dance  round  her ;  and  all  en- 
deavour to  exert  their  loyalty  and  attachment.  She  is 
generally  encircled  with  a  cluster  of  attendants,  who, 
if  you  separate  them  from  her,  soon  collect  themselves 
into  a  body,  and  enclose  her  in  the  midst.  She  is 
never  for  a  moment  left  without  attendants  in  her 
apartment ;  and  when  she  dies,  her  faithful  children 
crowd  around  her,  licking  her  body  continually,  either 
in  token  of  lasting  affection,  or  from  the  hope  of  bring- 
ing her  again  to  life. 

Ants,  according  to  their  natures,  build  their  nests  or 
houses  on  the  ground,  under  turfs  or  stones,  or  on  a 
tree;  or  erect  huge  structures  above  the  surface  of  the 
earth,  composed  of  particles  of  sand  and  dust,  which 
they  carry  in  their  mouths  to  the  required  spot.  In 
these  ant-houses,  there  are  different  sized  rooms,  piled 
story  above  story,  communicating  with  long  galleries 
or  passages,  the  ceilings  being  supported  by  pillars  or 
thin  walls,  as  may  be  necessary  to  support  the  weight 
above.  It  is  told  of  the  brown  ant,  which  is  an  ex- 
ceedingly industrious  insect,  that  it  forms  its  nest  of 
stories,  four  or  five  lines  in  height.  The  partitions  are 
not  more  than  half  a  line  in  thickness ;  and  the  sub- 


ANTS.  55 

stance  of  which  they  are  composed  is  so  finely  grained, 
that  the  inner  walls  present  one  smooth  unbroken  sur- 
face. These  stories  are  not  horizontal ;  they  lie  in  a 
sloping  direction.  They  are  also  ranged  on  no  regular 
plan,  but  are  suited  to  circumstances.  It  has  been 
noticed  that  ants  are  incessant  in  their  labours.  They 
do  not  seem  to  require  sleep,  and  work  as  well  during 
the  night,  or  in  darkness,  as  in  the  light  of  day.  In 
working  at  the  building  or  repairing  of  their  houses, 
they  use  their  antennae — that  is,  a  small  projecting 
point  from  their  head,  which  serves  the  purpose  of  a 
hand  for  feeling  or  touching  any  thing.  After  placing 
the  particles  of  earth  in  their  proper  position,  they 
press  them  lightly  down  with  their  fore-feet,  which 
thus  answer  the  purpose  of  a  hammer.  As  there  are 
thousands  engaged  at  once  in  these  occupations,  the 
labour  is  not  severe  upon  any  individual ;  while  the 
walls  and  stories  are  raised  with  amazing  quickness. 
Dampier,  a  celebrated  English  navigator,  in  speaking 
of  the  yellow  ant  of  South  America,  says,  they  construct 
their  nests  of  green  leaves  upon  trees,  placed  on  the 
trunk  between  the  limbs,  and  that  some  of  these  nests 
are  as  big  as  a  hogshead.  In  the  dry  season,  when 
they  leave  their  nests,  they  swarm  all  over  the  wood- 
lands. They  go  out  light,  but  bring  home  heavy  loads 
of  leaves  on  their  backs.  Other  sorts  of  ants  excavate 
nests  for  their  abode  in  the  branches  of  trees,  and  this 
they  do  with  no  small  ingenuity.  Some  exercise  the 
art  of  mining  or  boring  wood  to  a  wonderful  extent. 
They  will  penetrate  beneath  the  foundation  of  houses — 
which  in  warm  climates  are  often  composed  principally 
of  wood — and  cut  their  way  so  far  as  to  render  every 
beam,  rafter,  and  deal  in  the  house  a  mere  shell ;  so  that 
the  houses  so  affected  sometimes  tumble  down  on  the 
inhabitants.   Most  of  these  foreign  ants  are  exceedingly 


56  ANTS. 

voracious;  they  are  called  by  naturalists  the  scavengers 
of  creation ;  for  they  clear  the  fields  and  woods  of  all 
fallen  timber,  which  would  choke  vegetation,  as  well 
as  the  dead  bodies  of  every  animal  that  fall  in  their 
way.  They  also  destroy  noxious  and  loathsome  insects, 
such  as  beetles  and  cockroaches,  by  which  means  they 
are  really  useful  to  man.  In  some  parts  of  Asia  and 
Africa,  the  nests  of  ants  have  been  seen  to  rise  as  high 
as  six  feet  from  the  ground,  and,  if  meddled  with  by 
passers  by,  the  soldier  ants  sally  out  in  myriads  to  at- 
tack their  enemy,  which  they  instantly  put  to  flight. 

We  are  farther  informed  by  naturalists,  that  some 
descriptions  of  ants  are  remarkable  for  the  wars  which 
they  wage  against  each  other.  Here  is  Huber's  ac- 
count of  these  destructive  enterprises : — "  If,"  says 
he,  "  we  are  desirous  of  beholding  regular  armies  wage 
war  in  all  its  forms,  we  must  visit  the  forests  in  which 
the  wood-ant  establishes  its  dominion  over  every  insect 
within  the  neighbourhood  of  the  colony.  We  shall 
theie  see  populous  rival  cities,  and  regular  military 
roads  diverging  from  the  ant-hill  like  so  many  rays 
from  a  centre,  frequented  by  an  immense  number  of 
combatants  of  the  same  species,  for  they  are  naturally 
enemies,  and  jealous  of  any  encroachment  upon  the 
territory  which  surrounds  their  capitals.  I  have  wit- 
nessed in  these  forests  the  inhabitants  of  two  large 
ant-hills  engaged  in  spirited  combat ;  two  empires 
could  not  have  brought  into  the  field  a  more  numerous 
or  more  determined  body  of  combatants.  The  rival 
cities  were  situate  about  a  hundred  paces  from  each 
other,  and  alike  in  extent  of  population:  what  occa- 
sioned their  discord  I  cannot  pretend  to  say. 

"  Let  us  figure  to  ourselves  this  prodigious  crowd  of 
insects  covering  the  ground  lying  between  these  two 
ant-hills,  and  occupying  a  space  of  two  feet  in  breadth. 


Both  armies  met  at  half-way  from  their  respective  habi- 
tations, and  there  the  battle  commenced.  Thousands 
of  ants  took  their  station  upon  the  highest  ground,  and 
fought  in  pairs,  keeping  firm  hold  of  their  antagonists 
by  their  mandibles:  a  considerable  number  were  en- 
gaged in  the  attack,  and  leading  away  prisoners.  The 
latter  made  several  ineffectual  attempts  at  escape,  as  if 
aware  that,  upon  their  arrival  at  the  camp,  they  would 
experience  a  cruel  death.  The  scene  of  warfare  occu- 
pied a  space  of  about  three  feet  square  :  a  penetrating 
odour  exhaled  from  all  sides  ;  numbers  of  dead  ants  were 
seen  covered  with  venom.  The  ants,  composing  groups 
and  chains,  laid  hold  of  each  other's  legs  and  pincers, 
and  dragged  their  antagonists  on  the  ground.  These 
groups  formed  successively.  The  fight  usually  com- 
menced between  two  ants,  who  seized  each  other  by 
the  mandibles,  and  raised  themselves  upon  their  hind- 
legs,  to  allow  of  their  bringing  their  abdomen  forward, 
and  spurting  the  venom  upon  their  adversary.  They 
were  often  so  closely  wedged  together  that  they  fell 
upon  their  sides,  and  fought  a  long  time  in  that  situa- 
tion in  the  dust,  till  a  third  came  to  decide  the  contest. 
It  more  commonly  happened  that  both  ants  received  as- 
sistance at  the  same  time,  when  the  whole  four,  keep- 
ing firm  hold  of  a  foot  or  antennae,  made  ineffectual 
attempts  to  win  the  battle.  In  this  way  they  some- 
times formed  groups  of  six,  eight,  or  ten,  firmly  locked 
together,  the  group  being  only  broken  when  several 
warriors  from  the  same  republic  advanced  at  the  same 
time,  and  compelled  the  enchained  insects  to  let  go 
their  hold,  and  then  the  single  combats  were  renewed. 
On  the  approach  of  night  each  party  retired  gradually 
to  their  own  city. 

"  Next    morning,   before  dawn,  the  combatants  re- 
turned to  the  field  of  battle,  the   groups  again  formed, 
5 


the  carnage  recommenced  with  greater  fury  than  on  the 
preceding  evening,  and  the  scene  of  combat  occupied 
a  space  of  six  feet  in  length  by  two  in  breadth.  The 
event  remained  for  a  long  time  doubtful  ;  but  about 
mid-day  the  contending  armies  had  removed  to  the  dis- 
tance of  a  dozen  feet  from  one  of  the  cities,  whence  I 
conclude  some  ground  had  been  gained.  The  ants 
fought  so  desperately,  that  they  did  not  even  perceive 
my  presence  ;  for  though  I  remained  close  to  the  com- 
batants, not  one  of  them  attempted  to  climb  my  legs, 
seeming  to  be  wholly  absorbed  in  the  object  of  finding 
an  enemy  to  wrestle  with.  During  this  furious  warfare, 
the  common  operations  of  the  two  colonies  were  not 
suspended,  for  the  paths,  which  led  to  a  distance  in  the 
forest,  were  as  much  thronged  as  in  time  of  peace,  and, 
all  around  the  ant-hill,  order  and  tranquillity  prevailed. 
On  that  side  alone  where  the  battle  raged  were  seen 
crowds  of  the  colonists  running  to  and  fro,  some  to 
join  the  army,  and  some  to  escort  the  prisoners.  This 
war  terminated  without  any  disastrous  results  to  the 
two  republics.  In  fact,  it  appeared  that  its  duration 
was  shortened  by  long  continued  rains,  which  com- 
pelled each  of  the  belligerents  to  keep  within  their 
walls,  and  the  warriors  ceased  to  frequent  the  road 
which  led  to  the  camp  of  the  enemy." 

Another  remarkable  characteristic  of  some  descrip* 
tions  of  ants,  is  their  expeditions  to  capture  slaves.  A 
colony  wants  workers,  and  a  plan  is  followed  of  steal- 
ing away  the  unhatched  working  ants  of  other  commu- 
nities. Huber  thus  describes  these  predatory  incur- 
sions:— "On  the  17th  of  June,  1804,  whilst  walking 
in  the  environs  of  Geneva,  between  four  and  five  in  the 
evening,  I  observed,  close  at  my  feet,  traversing  the 
road,  a  column  of  legionary  ants.  They  moved  with 
considerable  rapidity,  and   occupied  a  space  of  from 


eight  to  ten  inches  in  length,  by  three  or  four  in  breadth. 
Quitting  the  road  in  a  few  minutes,  they  passed  a  thick 
hedge,  and  entered  a  meadow,  where  I  followed  them, 
and  observed  them  winding  along  the  grass  without 
straggling,  their  column  remaining  unbroken  in  spite 
of  the  obstructions  in  their  way.  They  soon  approached 
a  nest  inhabited  by  a  colony  of  those  called  negro-ants, 
the  dome  of  which  rose  above  the  grass,  at  a  distance 
of  twenty  feet  from  the  hedge.  Some  of  the  negroes 
were  guarding  the  entrance,  but,  on  the  discovery  of 
an  approaching  army  darted  forth  upon  the  advancing 
legion.  The  alarm  instantly  spread  into  the  interior, 
whence  their  companions  rushed  forth  in  multitudes  to 
defend  their  homes.  The  legionaries,  the  bulk  of  whose 
army  lay  only  at  the  distance  of  two  paces,  quickened 
their  march ;  and  when  they  arrived  at  the  hill,  the 
whole  battalion  fell  furiously  upon  the  negroes,  who, 
after  an  obstinate,  though  brief  conflict,  fled  to  their  sub- 
terranean galleries.  The  legionaries  now  ascended  the 
dome,  collected  in  crowds  on  the  summit,  and  taking 
possession  of  the  principal  avenues,  left  some  of  their 
companions  to  excavate  other  openings  in  the  exterior 
walls.  They  soon  effected  this,  and  through  the  breach 
the  remainder  of  the  army  made  their  entrance,  but  in 
about  three  or  four  minutes  afterwards  issued  forth  again, 
each  carrying  off  a  pupa  or  a  grub,  with  which  booty 
they  retraced  their  route,  in  a  straggling,  irregular  march, 
very  different  from  the  close  orderly  array  they  had  be- 
fore exhibited." 

The  negro-ants,  from  their  pacific  disposition,  seem 
generally  to  be  the  victims  of  these  hostile  excursions, 
though  Huber  found  that  other  and  more  courageous 
ants  were  similarly  attacked.  He  also  remarked  that 
the  invaders  never  carried  off  old  ants,  probably  from  the 
difficulty  of  taming  them  down  to  the  condition  of  slaves. 


60  ANTS. 

They  take  only  those  in  an  imperfectly  developed  state, 
hefore  any  attachment  has  been  formed  to  their  native 
place  or  their  kindred,  and,  coming  into  existence  in  the 
dwellings  of  those  who  carried  them  into  captivity,  they 
naturally  look  upon  it  as  their  home.  Developed  in  the 
enemy's  encampment,  they  afterwards  become  house- 
stewards  and  auxiliaries  to  the  tribe  with  which  they 
are  associated.  Brought  up  in  a  strange  nation,  not  only 
do  they  live  socially  with  their  captors,  but  bestow  the 
greatest  care  on  their  eggs  and  their  young,  going  in 
search  of  provisions  for  them,  building  their  habitation, 
and  fulfilling  other  duties,  apparently  not  once  suspect- 
ing that  they  live  with  those  very  insects  which  kid- 
napped them  in  their  helpless  and  unconscious  infancy. 
Their  servitude  is,  moreover,  no  source  of  misery  to  the 
slaves  themselves.  They  are  naturally  fond  of  work- 
ing, and  their  condition  is  not  different  from  what  it 
would  have  been  had  they  never  been  captured. 

Such  are  a  few  of  the  characteristics  of  ants,  whose 
general  economy,  and  unremitting  labours,  ought  to  fur- 
nish you  with  a  subject  of  agreeable  and  profitable  me- 
ditation. In  this  little  creature,  wiiich  is  usually  not 
half  the  size  of  a  common  pea,  you  see  the  most  extra- 
ordinary instances  of  instinctive  intelligence,  rivalling 
in  some  measure  the  boasted  wisdom  of  mankind.  You 
will  now,  therefore,  judge  whether  Solomon  had  not 
reason  to  remind  us  of  our  duties,  by  the  admonition, 
M  Go  to  the  ant,  thou  sluggard ;  consider  her  ways,  and 
be  wise." — Chambers's  Journal, 


61 


INDUSTRY. 


Nature  expects  mankind  should  share 
The  duties  of  the  public  care. 
Who's  born  for  sloth  ]     To  some  we  find 
The  ploughshare's  annual  toil  assigned ; 
Some  at  the  sounding  anvil  glow ; 
Some  the  swift  sliding  shuttle  throw ; 
Some  studious  of  the  wind  and  tide, 
From  pole  to  pole  our  commerce  guide ; 
Some,  taught  by  industry,  impart 
With  hands  and  feet  the  works  of  art ; 
WThile  some,  of  genius  more  refined, 
With  head  and  tongue  assist  mankind. 
Thus,  from  each  other's  useful  aid, 
By  turns  are  obligations  paid  : 
The  monarch,  when  his  table's  spread, 
Is  to  the  clown  obliged  for  bread, 
And,  when  in  all  his  glory  drest, 
Owes  to  the  loom  his  royal  vest. 
Do  not  the  mason's  toil  and  care 
Protect  him  from  the  inclement  air  1 
Does  not  the  cutler's  art  supply 
The  ornament  that  girds  his  thigh  1 
All  these,  in  duty  to  the  throne, 
Their  common  obligations  own. 
'Tis  he  (his  own  and  people's  cause) 
Protects  their  properties  and  laws. 
Thus  they  their  honest  toil  employ, 
And  with  content  the  fruits  enjoy, 
In  every  rank,  or  great  or  small, 
'Tis  industry  supports  us  all. 

Gay. 


63  THE    PELEW  ISLANDERS. 


LOSS  IN  DELAYS. 

Shun  delays,  they  breed  remorse, 
Take  thy  time,  while  time  is  lent  thee ; 

Creeping  snails  have  weakest  force, 
Fly  their  fault,  lest  thou  repent  thee. 

Good  is  best  when  soonest  wrought, 

Lingering  labour  comes  to  nought. 

Hoist  up  sail  while  gale  doth  last, 
Tide  and  wind  stay  no  man's  pleasure  ; 

Seek  not  time  when  time  is  past, 
Sober  speed  is  wisdom's  leisure  : 

After-wits  are  dearly  bought, 

Let  thy  fore-wit  guide  thy  thought. 

Time  wears  all  his  locks  before, 
Take  thou  hold  upon  his  forehead ; 

When  he  flies  he  turns  no  more, 
And  behind  his  scalp  is  naked  : 

Works  adjourned  have  many  stays, 

Long  demurs  breed  new  delays. 

Southwell. 


THE  PELEW  ISLANDERS. 

The  vicissitudes  and  perils  of  a  sailor's  life  ever  ex- 
cite our  warmest  sympathies,  and  we  feel  confident  that 
no  apology  need  be  offered  for  presenting  the  reader  with 
the  following  narrative,  which  exhibits  the  adventures 
of  a  body  of  British  seamen  who  were  cast  upon  the 


THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS.  63 

Pelew  Islands,  then  an  unknown  group,  situated  to 
the  south  of  the  Carolinas.  The  simple  and  humane 
character  of  the  natives,  the  kindness  with  which  they 
received  the  shipwrecked  mariners,  add  deeply  to  the 
interest  of  the  narrative. 

The  Antelope,  commanded  by  Captain  Wilson,  in 
the  service  of  the  East  India  Company,  of  about  300 
tons  burden,  sailed  from  Macao,  in  China,  on  her  home- 
ward passage,  on  the  20th  of  July,  1783.  She  had  on 
board  a  crew  of  fifty  persons,  of  whom  sixteen  were 
Chinese.  Till  the  9th  of  August  they  had  very  stormy 
unsettled  weather,  but  on  that  day  it  cleared  up,  and 
they  fondly  hoped  that  distress  and  danger  were  now 
fairly  passed ;  little  foreseeing  the  heavy  misfortunes 
which  were  so  quickly  to  overtake  them. 

Early  on  Sunday  morning,  10th  October,  a  strong 
breeze  sprung  up,  attended  with  much  rain,  thunder, 
and  lightning.  Captain  Wilson  had  gone  to  bed  about 
twelve,  leaving  Mr.  Benger,  the  chief  mate,  to  command 
on  deck.  While  the  seamen  were  busy  in  reefing  the 
sails  the  man  on  watch  exclaimed,  Breakers,  Scarcely 
had  he  pronounced  the  word,  when  the  ship  struck.  It 
is  not  easy  to  express  the  consternation  which  ensued  ; 
all  who  were  in  bed  below  came  immediately  on  deck, 
inquiring  the  cause  of  this  sudden  shock  and  confusion : 
too  soon  they  learned  their  dismal  situation ;  the  breakers 
appeared  alongside,  with  the  rocks  through  them ;  in 
less  than  an  hour  the  ship  bulged,  and  filled  with  water 
up  to  the  lower  deck  hatchways.  During  this  tremen- 
dous interval,  the  seamen  eagerly  thronged  round  the 
captain,  and  besought  him  to  direct  them  what  to  do, 
and  his  orders  would  be  implicitly  obeyed. 

Captain  Wilson's  first  orders  were,  to  secure  the  gun- 
powder and  small  arms,  and  to  get  on  deck  the  bread 
and  such  other  provisions  as  were  liable  to  be  spoiled  by 


64  THE     PELEW    ISLANDERS. 

the  water,  covering  them  with  tarpaulins,  &c,  to  pro- 
tect them  from  the  rain.  The  ship  threatened  to  over- 
set ;  to  prevent  which  they  cut  away  the  mizzen-mast, 
the  main  and  fore  top-masts,  and  lowered  the  fore  and 
main  yards,  to  ease  and  preserve  her  as  long  as  possible. 
The  boats  were  then  hoisted  out,  and  filled  with  provi- 
sions ;  two  men,  with  a  compass,  some  small  arms,  and 
ammunition,  being  put  into  each,  with  directions  to  keep 
them  under  the  lee  of  the  ship,  and  be  ready  to  receive 
their  shipmates,  in  case  the  vessel  should  part  by  the 
violence  of  the  wind  and  waves. 

Every  thing  being  now  done  that  prudence  could  dic- 
tate in  so  awful  a  situation,  the  officers  and  people 
assembled  on  the  quarter-deck,  that  part  being  highest 
out  of  the  water,  and  best  sheltered  from  the  rain  and 
sea  by  the  quarter-boards ;  here  they  waited  for  day- 
light, in  hopes  of  seeing  land,  which  as  yet  they  had  not 
been  able  to  discern. 

The  dawn  discovered  to  their  view  a  small  island,  at 
the  distance  of  about  three  or  four  leagues  to  the  south- 
ward ;  and  as  the  day-light  increased,  they  saw  more 
islands  to  the  eastward.  Their  apprehensions  were  now 
on  account  of  the  natives,  to  whose  dispositions  they 
were  perfect  strangers ;  however,  after  manning  the 
boats,  and  loading  them  in  the  best  manner  they  were 
able  for  the  general  good,  they  dispatched  the  crews  to 
the  small  island,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Benger, 
who  was  earnestly  requested  to  establish,  if  possible,  a 
friendly  intercourse  with  the  natives,  if  any  were  found, 
and  carefully  to  avoid  all  disagreement  with  them,  unless 
caused  by  the  most  urgent  necessity.  As  soon  as  the 
boats  were  gone,  those  who  were  left  in  the  ship  began 
to  get  the  booms  over  board,  and  to  make  a  raft  for  their 
security,  in  case  the  Antelope  should  go  to  pieces, 
which  was  hourly  expected. 


THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS.  65 

In  the  afternoon  they  hailed  with  inexpressible  joy 
the  return  of  the  boats,  with  the  welcome  news  that 
there  was  no  appearance  of  inhabitants  on  the  island; 
that  they  had  found  a  secure  harbour,  well  sheltered  from 
the  weather,  and  also  some  fresh  water.  They  had 
landed  the  stores,  and  left  them  under  charge  of  five  of 
the  men.  This  good  account  revived  the  crew,  and  they 
proceeded  in  completing  their  raft  with  fresh  vigour. 

Having  finished  the  raft,  they  loaded  it,  as  well  as  the 
jolly-boat,  with  as  many  stores  and  provisions  as  they 
could  contain,  consistently  with  the  safety  of  the  people. 
The  stoutest  of  the  hands  were  put  on  board  the  pinnace, 
which  took  the  raft  in  tow,  and  moved  slowly  on  till 
they  had  cleared  the  reef;  while  the  jolly-boat  proceeded 
alone  to  the  shore.  Those  on  board  the  pinnace  and 
raft  were  exposed  to  much  danger  in  crossing  the  reef; 
indeed,  the  swell  of  the  waves  was  such,  that  they  re- 
peatedly lost  sight  of  each  other,  and  those  on  the  raft 
were  obliged  to  tie  themselves  to  the  planks  to  prevent 
their  being  washed  off.  At  last,  with  much  exertion, 
they  reached  the  shore,  where  they  found  their  com- 
panions, who  had  erected  a  tent  for  their  reception,  and 
cleared  a  spot  of  ground  for  the  stores.  It  need  scarcely 
be  added  that  they  shook  hands  together  with  great  cor- 
diality. They  kindled  a  fire  in  the  cove,  by  which  they 
dried  their  clothes  and  warmed  themselves ;  and  having 
supped  on  cheese,  biscuit,  and  water,  they  set  a  watch, 
and  slept  on  the  ground  by  turns. 

Next  day  they  endeavoured  to  bring  off  from  the  ship 
such  articles  as  might  be  useful  to  them,  but  as  the 
weather  was  very  stormy  they  did  not  prove  very  suc- 
cessful. 

In  the  morning  it  blew  exceedingly  strong,  so  that  the 
boats  could  not  go  off  to  the  wreck ;  the  men,  therefore, 
employed   themselves  in  drying  their  provisions,  and 


66  THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS. 

forming  better  tents,  from  the  materials  which  they  had 
brought  from  the  ship  the  day  before.  About  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  people  being  employed  as 
above,  and  in  clearing  the  ground  from  the  wood  wilich 
was  behind  the  tents,  Captain  Wilson,  with  Tom  Rose, 
a  Malay,  whom  they  had  taken  on  board  at  Macao, 
being  on  the  beach  collecting  the  fresh  water  which  drop- 
ped from  the  rocks,  saw  two  canoes  with  men  in  them 
coming  round  the  point  into  the  bay.  This  gave  such 
alarm  that  the  people  all  ran  to  their  arms  ;  however,  as 
there  were  but  few  of  the  natives,  Captain  Wilson 
desired  them  to  keep  out  of  sight  until  they  should  per- 
ceive what  reception  he  met  with,  but  to  be  prepared  for 
the  worst.  They  soon  perceived  that  the  natives  had 
seen  the  captain  and  Tom  Rose,  for  they  conversed 
together,  and  kept  their  eyes  stedfastly  fixed  on  that 
part  of  the  shore  where  the  English  were.  The  natives 
advanced  very  cautiously  toward  the  captain,  and  when 
they  came  near  enough  to  be  heard,  he  directed  Rose  to 
speak  to  them  in  the  Malay  language,  which  they  at 
first  did  not  seem  to  understand,  but  they  stopped  their 
canoes,  and  soon  after  one  of  them  asked  in  the  Malay 
tongue  who  our  people  were,  and  whether  they  were 
friends  or  enemies  1  Rose  was  directed  to  reply,  that 
they  were  unfortunate  Englishmen  who  had  lost  their 
ship  on  the  reef,  but  had  saved  their  lives,  and  that  they 
were  friends.  On  this  they  seemed  to  confer  together 
for  a  short  time,  and  then  stepped  out  of  the  canoes  into 
the  water,  and  went  toward  the  shore.  Captain  Wil- 
son instantly  waded  into  the  water  to  meet  them,  and 
embracing  them  in  the  most  friendly  manner,  led  them 
to  the  shore,  and  presented  them  to  his  officers  and  un- 
fortunate companions.  They  were  eight  in  number, 
two  of  whom,  it  was  afterwards  known,  were  brothers 
to  the  Rupack,  or  King  of  the  neighbouring  islands,  and 


THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS.  67 

one  was  a  Malay,  who  had  been  shipwrecked  in  a  ves- 
sel belonging  to  a  Chinese,  resident  on  the  island  of 
Ternate,  one  of  the  same  group  of  islands. 

How  truly  fortunate  for  the  poor  mariners  that  they 
had  one  on  board  who  could  speak  the  Malay  tongue ! 
It  was  by  a  singular  and  no  less  fortunate  accident  that 
a  tempest  should  have  thrown  a  Malay  on  this  spot,  who 
had,  as  a  stranger,  been  noticed  and  favoured  by  the 
king ;  and  having  been  near  a  year  on  the  island  pre- 
vious to  the  loss  of  the  Antelope,  was  become  acquainted 
with  the  language  of  the  country.  By  this  extraordi- 
nary event,  both  the  English  and  the  inhabitants  of 
Pelew  had  each  an  interpreter  who  could  converse  freely 
together  in  the  Malay  tongue.  After  breakfast  Captain 
Wilson  introduced  the  natives  to  several  of  his  officers, 
and  acquainted  them  with  our  mode  of  welcoming,  by 
shaking  hands,  a  custom  which  they  never  afterwards 
omitted  on  meeting  any  of  the  English. 

The  natives  were  of  a  moderate  size,  but  admirably 
proportioned,  and  very  muscular  ;  their  hair  was  long  and 
black,  rolled  up  in  a  peculiarly  neat  manner  close  to  their 
heads.  They  were  perfectly  naked,  and  their  skin  of  a 
deep  copper  colour,  only  their  thighs  appeared  much 
darker,  from  being  tattooed  very  closely.  They  used 
cocoa-oil,  rubbing  it  on  their  skins,  which  gave  them  a 
shining  appearance,  and  great  softness.  It  was  evident 
the  natives  had  never  before  seen  a  white  man,  and  their 
natural  surprise  at  seeing  them  may  be  conceived.  The 
appearance  of  clothes  was  quite  new  ;  they  began  strok- 
ing the  waistcoats  and  coat-sleeves,  at  a  loss  to  deter- 
mine whether  the  man  and  his  dress  were  not  of  the 
same  substance.  They  were  conducted  round  the  cove; 
and  as  they  were  now  enabled  to  support  a  mutual  con- 
versation, by  means  of  Tom  Rose  on  the  part  of  the 
English,  and  the  Malay  on  that  of  the  natives,  they  had 


b»  THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS. 

an  opportunity  of  examining  and  explaining  the  dif- 
ferent appearances  that  occasioned  mutual  surprise. — 
Nothing  afforded  them  greater  surprise  than  the  sight 
of  two  dogs  belonging  to  the  ship,  which,  immediately 
on  their  approach,  set  up  a  loud  bark,  to  the  great 
delight  of  the  natives,  who  answered  them  in  a  shout 
almost  as  violent ;  the  cause  of  this  joy  and  surprise 
was  explained  to  be,  that,  except  a  few  grey  rats,  there 
were  no  quadrupeds  on  the  island. 

At  Captain  Wilson's  request,  Mr.  Matthias  Wilson, 
his  brother,  willingly  agreed  to  go  in  one  of  the  canoes 
to  the  king,  in  order  that  the  latter  might  see  what  sort 
of  beings  white  men  were.  He  was  directed  to  relate 
to  him  their  misfortune,  and  to  solicit  his  friendship  and 
protection,  and  permission  to  build  a  vessel  to  carry 
them  to  their  own  counry.  He  also  took  a  present  to 
the  king,  consisting  of  blue  cloth,  tea,  sugar-candy,  and 
some  other  articles.  Four  of  the  natives,  among  whom 
was  Raa  Kook,  the  elder  of  the  king's  brothers,  remained, 
of  their  own  accord,  until  the  canoe  returned  with  Mr. 
Wilson. 

During  the  absence  of  Matthias  Wilson,  they  had  an 
opportunity  of  getting  more  intimately  acquainted  with 
Raa  Kook,  whom  they  found  a  most  amiable  character 
indeed.  Observing  a  piece  of  polished  bone  around  his 
wrist,  they  took  occasion  to  inquire  the  meaning  of  it. 
He  informed  them  it  was  a  mark  of  great  distinction, 
conferred  only  on  the  blood  royal  and  principal  officers 
of  state  ;  and  that  he  enjoyed  it  as  being  the  king's 
brother,  and  commander-in-chief  of  the  forces  both  by 
sea  and  land.  Raa  Kook's  friendship  was  therefore^ 
cultivated  with  all  imaginable  assiduity,  and  he  in  return 
showed  himself  attached  to  them  by  a  most  attentive 
politeness  ;  he  imitated  them  in  all  their  actions,  and  on 
every  occasion  showed  them  how  high  an  opinion  he 
had  formed  of  them. 


THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS.  69 

On  the  morning1  of  the  24th  two  canoes  arrived,  in 
which  were  Arra  Kooker,  the  king's  other  brother,  and 
one  of  the  king's  sons.  They  informed  Captain  Wil- 
son that  his  brother  was  on  his  way  back.  The  king 
offered  them  a  hearty  welcome  to  his  territories  ;  he  also 
desired  them  to  build  a  vessel  in  any  part  of  the  island 
they  inclined,  and  he  and  his  subjects  would  willingly 
afford  them  every  assistance  in  their  power.  Raa  Kook 
then  took  his  nephew  and  introduced  him  particularly  to 
the  captain  and  his  officers ;  after  which  he  conducted 
him  round  the  cove,  explained  every  thing  according  to 
the  information  he  himself  had  just  received,  and  seemed 
mightily  pleased  with  his  friend's  astonishment. 

The  people  were  highly  entertained  with  Arra  Kooker, 
who  proved  to  be  a  most  facetious  and  entertaining 
person,  possessing  uncommon  talents  for  mimickry  and 
humour;  he  described,  by  many  diverting-  signs,  the 
terror  of  Matthias  Wilson  while  at  Pelew;  indeed,  he  had 
been  under  very  great  apprehension,  but  they  were  all 
revived  with  his  appearance,  and  the  account  he  gave 
them  of  his  embassy  in  nearly  the  following  words  : — 
"  On  the  approach  of  the  canoe  in  which  I  went  to 
the  island  where  the  king  lives,  a  vast  concourse  of  the 
natives  ran  out  of  their  houses  to  see  me  come  on  shore. 
The  king's  brother  took  me  by  the  hand,  and  led  me 
up  to  the  town,  where  a  mat  was  spread  for  me  on  a 
square  pavement,  and  I  was  directed  to  sit  down  on  it. 
In  a  little  time  the  king  appeared,  and  being  pointed 
out  to  me  by  his  brother,  I  rose  and  made  my  obeisance 
after  the  manner  of  Eastern  nations,  by  lifting  my  hands 
to  my  head  and  bending  my  body  forward,  but  he  did 
not  seem  to  pay  any  attention  to  it.  I  then  offered 
him  the  presents  which  my  brother  had  sent  by  me,  and 
he  received  them  in  a  very  gracious  manner.  His 
brother  now  talked  a  great  deal  to  him,  the  purport  of 


70  THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS. 

which,  as  I  conceived,  was  to  acquaint  him  with  our 
disaster  and  our  number ;  after  which  the  king  ate  some 
of  the  sugar-candy,  seemed  to  relish  it,  distributed  a 
little  of  it  to  several  of  his  chiefs,  and  then  directed  all 
the  things  to  be  carried  to  his  own  house.  This  being 
done,  he  ordered  refreshments  to  be  brought  for  me. 
A  great  crowd  of  the  natives  had  by  this  time  surround- 
ed me,  who  were  curious  and  eager  to  examine  my 
clothes  and  person.  Taking  off  my  hat  by  accident, 
all  who  were  present  seemed  struck  with  astonishment, 
which  I  perceiving,  unbuttoned  my  waistcoat,  and  took 
my  shoes  from  my  feet,  in  order  that  they  might  see 
they  were  no  part  of  my  body;  being  of  opinion,  that, 
at  first  sight  of  me,  they  entertained  a  notion  that  my 
clothes  constituted  a  part  of  my  person,  for,  when,  un- 
deceived in  this,  they  came  nearer  to  me,  stroked  me, 
and  put  their  hands  into  my  bosom  to  feel  my  skin. 

"  As  it  began  to  be  dark,  the  king,  his  brother,  my- 
self, and  several  others,  retired  into  a  large  house,  where 
supper  was  brought  in,  consisting  of  yams  boiled  whole, 
and  others  boiled  and  beaten  together,  as  we  sometimes 
do  potatoes.  After  supper  I  was  conducted  to  another 
house,  at  some  distance  from  the  first,  by  a  female. 
Here  I  found  at  least  forty  or  fifty  men  and  women,  and 
signs  were  made  for  me  to  sit  or  lie  down  on  a  mat, 
which  seemed  spread  on  purpose  for  me  to  sleep  on ; 
and  after  all  the  company  had  satisfied  their  curiosity 
by  viewing  me  very  accurately,  they  went  to  sleep,  and 
I  laid  myself  down  on  the  mat,  and  rested  my  head  on 
a  log,  which  these  people  use  as  a  pillow,  and  drew 
another  mat,  which  also  seemed  laid  for  the  purpose, 
over  me.  I  was  unable  even  to  slumber,  but  lay  per- 
fectly still ;  and  some  considerable  time  after,  when  all 
was  quiet,  about  eight  men  rose  and  made  two  great 
fires  at  each  end  of  the  house,  which  was  not  divided 


THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS.  71 

by  partitions,  but  formed  one  large  habitation.  This 
operation,  I  confess,  alarmed  me  very  much,  indeed  ! 
I  thought  of  nothing  less  than  that  they  were  going  to 
roast  me,  and  that  they  had  only  laid  themselves  down 
that  I  might  drop  asleep,  when  they  might  dispatch  me 
in  that  situation.  However,  as  there  was  no  possibility 
of  escaping,  I  collected  all  my  fortitude,  and  recom- 
mended myself  to  the  Supreme  Disposer  of  all  events. 
I  lay  still,  expecting  every  moment  to  meet  my  fate ; 
but,  to  my  great  surprise,  after  sitting  a  while  to  warm 
themselves,  they  all  retired  again  to  their  mats,  and 
stirred  no  more  till  daylight.  I  then  got  up  and  walked 
about,  surrounded  by  great  numbers  of  men,  women, 
and  children,  and  in  a  little  time  was  joined  by  the 
king's  brother,  who  took  me  to  several  houses,  in  every 
one  of  which  I  was  entertained  with  yams,  cocoa-nuts, 
and  sweetmeats.  I  spent  the  remainder  of  the  day  in 
walking  about  the  island,  and  observing  its  produce, 
which  consisted  chiefly  of  yams  and  cocoa-nuts  :  the 
former  they  cultivate  with  great  care,  in  large  planta- 
tions, which  are  all  in  swampy  watered  ground  like  the 
rice  in  India." 

The  favourable  account  which  Mr.  Wilson  brought, 
joined  to  the  message  the  king  had  sent  to  the  captain 
by  his  brother  and  son,  put  all  our  people  into  great 
spirits,  so  that  they  applied  to  their  several  avocations 
with  redoubled  vigour,  and  particularly  to  getting  every 
thing  they  could  from  the  wreck. 

At  day-break  a  number  of  canoes  were  seen  approach- 
ing the  harbour,  and  our  people  were  informed  that  the 
king  was  coming.  When  they  had  come  in  as  far  as 
the  tide  would  permit,  Captain  Wilson  went  out  to  meet 
him,  being  carried  through  the  shallow  water  by  two 
of  his  own  men  ;  upon  entering  the  canoe,  Captain 
Wilson  embraced  the  king,  informing  him,  through  the 


72  THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS. 

interpreters,  that  he  and  his  friends  were  Englishmen, 
who  had  lost  their  ship  ;  but  having  saved  their  lives 
by  landing  on  his  territory,  supplicated  his  permission 
to  build  a  vessel  to  convey  themselves  back  to  their 
own  country.  The  king  replied,  in  the  most  courteous 
manner,  that  he  was  welcome  to  build,  either  at  the 
place  he  then  was,  or  at  his  own  island.  Captain  Wil- 
son then  made  him  a  present  of  a  scarlet  coat ;  and 
after  some  discourse  he  made  signs  to  go  on  shore. 
The  men  again  took  the  captain  up  as  before,  whilst  the 
king  stepped  into  the  water  and  waded  to  land. 

The  king  was  perfectly  naked,  nor  had  he  any  bone 
on  his  wrist,  or  any  ornament  of  distinction.  He  bore 
a  hatchet  on  his  shoulder,  the  head  of  which  was  made 
of  iron,  a  circumstance  which  much  surprised  our  peo- 
ple, as  all  the  other  hatchets  they  had  seen  were  of 
shell ;  the  handle  being  formed  in  a  sharp  angle,  struck 
close  to  the  shoulder,  lying  before  and  behind,  and 
wanted  no  tying  to  keep  it  steady  in  walking.  The 
king,  on  landing,  looked  about  with  the  same  kind  of 
caution  as  his  brothers,  and  those  who  came  with  them 
had  before  done  on  their  first  visit.  Raa  Kook  met  him 
on  the  shore,  and  as  he  declined  going  into  the  tents, 
the  English  spread  a  sail  for  him  to  sit  on,  which  he 
did,  and  clearly  took  and  understood  it  as  a  mark  of 
respect,  the  chief  minister  placing  himself  opposite  to 
him  at  the  extremity  of  the  canvass,  whilst  his  two 
brothers,  Raa  Kook  and  Arra  Kooker,  sat  on  each  side, 
at  the  extent  also  of  the  sail,  forming,  when  thus  ar- 
ranged, a  square.  The  principal  chiefs  and  officers  of 
state  who  accompanied  him  seated  themselves  near,  and 
behind  these  chiefs  the  large  retinue  of  his  own  people 
which  filled  his  train,  being  about  three  hundred, 
formed  a  circle,  not  standing,  but  squatting,  in  a  posi- 
tion ready   to  rise  up  in  an  instant.     Some  tea  was 


THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS.  73 

made,  and  offered  him ;  he  drank  one  cup,  but  did  not 
seem  to  relish  it.  After  sitting  a  little  while,  he  was 
presented  with  a  remnant  of  scarlet  cloth  and  half  a 
piece  of  long  cloth,  and  also  had  some  ribands  of  dif- 
ferent colours  given  to  him  to  distribute  among  his 
attendants,  which  he  did  immediately,  and  they  on 
receiving  them  rolled  them  up  very  handily,  for  they 
had  all  been  unrolled  before  to  dry.  During  the  time 
that  they  were  rolling  up  the  ribands,  our  people  ob- 
served, by  the  gestures  and  looks  of  the  natives,  that 
each  chief  fixed  his  attention  upon  some  particular 
person.  This  at  the  time  alarmed  them,  apprehending 
that  the  individual  each  chief  had  particularly  noticed, 
was  singled  out  as  his  devoted  prisoner ;  but  they  soon 
afterwards  found  the  meaning  to  be  quite  contrary,  and 
that  the  individual  so  selected  was  to  be  that  chief's 
particular  friend  or  guest.  Captain  Wilson  then  in- 
troduced his  chief  mate  to  the  king,  as  the  first  officer 
under  him  ;  the  rest  of  the  officers  were  next  intro- 
duced, and  Mr.  Sharp,  the  surgeon,  was  pointed  out 
as  the  gentleman  who  cured  the  diseases  which  any  of 
his  people  were  afflicted  with,  at  which  the  king 
seemed  wonderfully  surprised,  and  kept  his  eyes  fixed 
on  him.  Lastly,  all  the  private  men  were  introduced 
in  their  turns. 

During  the  time  that  this  business  was  transacting, 
Raa  Kook  was  conversing  with  the  king  upon  every 
thing  he  had  seen  and  observed  during  his  stay  with 
our  people ;  this  his  countenance  and  gestures  fully 
demonstrated,  and  they  plainly  noticed  his  description 
of  their  fire-arms  and  exercise,  which  the  king  seemed 
eagerly  to  attend  to,  and  then  expressed  a  wish  to  see 
them  himself;  which  Captain  Wilson  said  should  be 
done  immediately. 

He  ordered  every  man  to  be  under  arms,  and  drawn 
6 


74  THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS. 

up  on  the  beach  (the  tide  then  being  low)  before  the 
king",  who  was  placed  with  all  his  retinue  just  above 
the  flow  of  the  water,  and  that  they  should  be  exer- 
cised by  the  chief  mate,  that  he  might  not  absent  him- 
self from  the  king ;  they  without  loss  of  time  prepared 
themselves,  marched  on  the  shore  in  the  king's  pre- 
sence, and  fired  three  volleys  in  different  positions. 
The  surprise  of  the  natives,  their  hooting,  hallooing, 
jumping,  and  chattering,  produced  a  noise  almost  equal 
to  the  report  of  the  muskets. 

The  king  then  spent  some  time  in  going  through  the 
tents,  examining  with  great  attention  the  various  arti- 
cles that  came  under  his  notice.  After  which  he  de- 
parted, apparently  highly  pleased  with  his  visit. 

The  king's  son  and  Raa  Kook  staid  with  the  Eng- 
lish, having  five  canoes  and  about  twenty  people 
remaining  with  them.  They  slept  in  two  tents  by 
themselves,  our  people  lying  in  the  tent  where  their 
arms  and  stores  were,  two  tents  having  been  erected 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  king  and  his  retinue.  In 
the  tent  intended  for  the  king,  was  Raa  Kook,  the 
king's  son,  and  several  chiefs;  Captain  Wilson  re- 
mained with  them  after  the  guard  was  set  and  sentinels 
placed,  to  show  them  respect,  as  well  as  to  testify  the 
confidence  he  placed  in  them.  Soon  after  which  the 
following  circumstance  happened,  which  occasioned 
much  alarm. 

After  the  guard  was  set,  and  the  sentinels  placed,  our 
people  were  going  to  rest,  when,  on  a  sudden,  the  na- 
tives began  a  song,  the  shrillness  and  manner  of  which 
made  them  think  it  was  their  war-cry,  or  the  signal  for 
the  king  and  his  party  from  the  back  of  the  island  to 
come  upon  them.  The  English  instantly  took  to  their 
arms.  But  they  were  soon  relieved  from  every  anxiety, 
by    finding   that  the   natives   were   only  tuning  their 


THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS.  75 

voices,  in  order  to  begin  a  song ;  which,  as  soon  as 
they  had  in  their  manner  properly  pitched,  Raa  Kook 
gave  out  a  line  or  stave,  which  was  taken  up  by  an- 
other rupack,  seated  at  a  little  distance,  who  sang  a 
verse,  accompanied  by  the  rest  of  the  natives  present, 
except  himself  and  the  prince.  The  last  line  they  sung 
twice  over,  which  was  taken  up  by  the  natives  in  the 
next  tent,  in  chorus.  Raa  Kook  then  gave  out  another 
line,  which  was  sung  in  the  same  manner;  and  this 
continued  for  ten  or  twelve  verses.  Their  song  ended, 
they  requested  to  hear  some  English  songs,  which  was 
readily  complied  with.  This  put  an  agreeable  end  to 
every  apprehension,  as  the  English  were  now  convinced 
their  sole  intent  was  to  amuse  them. 

The  next  day  they  were  visited  by  the  king,  who, 
after  much  apparent  reluctance,  made  a  request  of  Cap- 
tain Wilson  to  permit  four  or  five  of  his  men  to  go  to 
war  with  their  muskets,  against  one  of  the  neighbouring 
islands  that  had  done  him  an  injury.  Captain  Wilson 
instantly  replied,  that  the  English  were  his  own  people, 
and  that  the  enemies  of  the  king  were  their  enemies. 
The  king  said  he  should  want  the  men  in  five  days,  by 
which  time  his  own  people  would  be  prepared  for  battle, 
and  that  he  would  take  them  down  to  Pelew  with  him 
next  day. 

The  king  came  in  the  forenoon  of  the  following  day, 
and  every  one  of  the  English  expressed  a  readiness  to 
go.  At  length  five  young  men,  who  requested  their 
comrades  with  particular  earnestness  to  be  the  first  upon 
the  list,  were  appointed, — they  also  took  with  them  Tom 
Rose  as  their  interpreter.  Their  companions  gave  them 
three  cheers  as  they  moved  from  the  shore. 

As  they  would  now  be  free  from  any  interruption  from 
the  natives  for  some  days,  they  formed  the  plan  of  their 
intended  vessel,  each  taking  one  department,  in  order  to 


76  THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS. 

facilitate  their  operations ;  and  all  arrangements  being 
made,  they  set  vigorously  to  work. 

During  the  following  week,  our  people  went  almost 
every  day  to  the  wreck,  and  recovered  a  variety  of  pro- 
visions and  stores.  It  was  judged  expedient  to  form  a 
barricade  in  front  of  the  tents  towards  the  sea,  which 
was  assisted  by  a  double  row  of  strong  posts,  interlaced 
with  branches  of  trees,  and  filled  up  with  logs  of  wood, 
stones  and  sand,  on  which  they  mounted  a  six  pounder 
and  two  large  swivels.  Notwithstanding  the  heat  of 
the  weather  also,  they  continued  to  make  progress  in 
building  the  vessel. 

After  an  absence  of  nine  days,  they  welcomed  with 
great  joy  the  return  of  their  five  companions,  who  had 
gone  to  assist  the  king  in  his  warlike  expedition.  They 
reported  that  they  had  been  successful  in  their  attack, 
having  put  the  enemy  to  flight,  and  that  the  king  was 
highly  pleased  with  his  triumph.  He  charged  them  to 
carry  an  invitation  to  Captain  Wilson,  to  visit  Pelew, 
the  island  where  the  king  resided.  However,  this  Cap- 
tain Wilson  declined  for  the  present,  as  he  was  very 
busy  superintending  the  construction  of  the  vessel ;  but 
he  sent  Mr.  Benger,  the  first  mate,  Mr.  M.  Wilson,  and 
Tom  Rose,  to  compliment  the  king  upon  his  victory. 
They  were  received  with  the  most  perfect  friendship  and 
hospitality. 

In  the  afternoon  of  Saturday,  Mr.  Cummin  was  sent 
in  the  jolly-boat,  to  try  for  the  passage  through  the  reef 
which  was  thought  to  have  been  discovered  the  day 
before  from  the  look-out  above  the  tents.  Captain  Wil- 
son took  up  some  men,  and  cleared  still  more  the  spot 
intended  for  an  observatory.  The  jolly-boat  returned, 
after  having  been  without  the  reef  through  a  narrow 
passage,  in  which  they  found  at  low  water  three  feet 
and  a  half  of  water,  and,  as  it  rose  eight  or  nine  feet 


THE   PELEW  ISLANDERS.  77 

upon  a  spring-tide,  it  was  judged  there  must  be  at  those 
times  twelve  feet  of  water,  which  would  be  almost 
double  the  draught  of  the  schooner  when  finished.  This 
was  an  information  which  revived  every  one's  hopes, 
and  made  all  our  people  look  forward  with  fresh  spirits. 

The  captain  having  fixed  this  day  for  visiting  the 
king  at  Pelew,  as  soon  as  all  had  breakfasted,  he  read 
prayers  in  the  tent.  After  prayers  were  ended,  Captain 
Wilson  took  leave  of  his  people,  taking  with  him  Mr. 
Sharp,  Mr.  Devis,  and  his  son  Mr.  Henry  Wilson. 
They  went  in  the  jolly-boat,  the  general  accompanying 
him  in  his  canoe. 

As  Pelew  came  in  sight,  the  jolly-boat  hoisted  Eng- 
lish colours,  and  fired  three  muskets,  which  were 
answered  as  they  approached  nearer  the  shore,  by  a 
white  flag  stuck  on  a  pole;  this  was  conceived  to  have 
been  suggested  by  the  Malay,  and  proved  to  be  some 
of  the  white  cloth  that  had  been  given  to  the  king.  Raa 
Kook  having  quitted  his  canoe,  came  into  the  jolly-boat ; 
and  our  people,  on  landing,  fired  three  muskets  more, 
after  having  hoisted  their  colours,  and  fixed  them  in  the 
ground  opposite  a  house  close  to  the  water-side,  at  the 
end  of  the  causeway  where  they  came  on  shore ;  to 
which  house  our  people  were  conducted  by  Raa  Kook, 
to  wait  the  king's  coming,  he  having  despatched  a  mes- 
senger to  notify  the  captain's  arrival. 

Before  the  king  appeared,  some  of  the  natives  weie 
sent  down  with  refreshments.  These  were  all  placed 
in  a  kind  of  order,  preparatory  to  the  king's  coming. 
On  his  arrival,  Captain  Wilson  rose  and  embraced  him, 
as  he  had  done  at  their  first  interview.  Abba  Thulle 
sat  down  by  him,  and  they  were  then  served  with  the 
before-mentioned  provisions,  by  a  man  who  seemed  to 
act  as  butler,  and  gave  to  each  a  portion,  by  the  king's 
directions.     After  this  entertainment  was  over,  Captain 


78 


THE    PELEW   ISLANDERS. 


Wilson  offered  him  the  presents  he  had  brought,  which 
consisted  of  some  iron  hoops,  some  necklaces  made  of 
gold  and  silver  lace,  tied  with  a  ribbon  at  each  end ; 
to  which  he  meant  to  have  added  a  few  files,  but  one  of 
the  natives  purloined  them  from  the  person  who  had 
them  in  charge. 

The  king  came  down  without  any  state,  and  seemed 
only  attended  by  those  whom  curiosity  to  see  the  Eng- 
lish had  brought  together.  The  house,  and  every  part 
about  it,  was  thronged  with  the  natives,  to  see  the 
captain,  who  had  dressed  himself  in  the  Company's 
uniform. 

After  the  repast  was  ended,  the  king  conducted  them 
to  various  parts  of  the  town.  They  were  first  shown  the 
house  in  which  they  were  to  sleep  during  their  stay  at 
Pelew,  and  afterwards  introduced  to  the  queen,  who  had 
expressed  a  great  desire  to  see  them. 

The  general  now  told  them  he  wished  to  conduct 
them  to  his  own  house,  which  was  a  little  distant  from 
the  first  square,  where  the  king  had  alloted  their  habi- 
tation. At  the  house  of  this  chief  they  were  received 
quite  in  a  family  way,  without  any  form.  They  were 
obliged  just  to  taste  of  what  was  set  before  them, 
though  their  appetites  had  been  sufficiently  taken  away 
by  partaking  of  so  many  entertainments  before.  Raa 
Kook's  wife  brought  them  in  a  broiled  pigeon,  which 
they,  out  of  compliment,  eat  a  bit  of,  for  the  honour 
done  them.  In  this  domestic  scene,  Raa  Kook  appeared 
in  a  new  and  amiable  light.  It  was  a  situation  which 
placed  to  their  view  that  benevolent  heart  of  his  they 
had  themselves  before  frequently  noticed.  Here  he  was 
surrounded  by  several  of  his  children,  two  of  whom 
were  very  young,  and  seemed  almost  of  the  same  age. 
They  were  climbing  up  his  knees  and  caressing  him, 
whilst  he  seemed  to  enjoy  great  pleasure  in  rolling  and 


THE    PELEW   ISLANDERS.  79 

tossing  them  about,  and  playing  with  them,  handing 
them  to  our  people,  that  they  might  also  notice  and 
play  with  them. 

Whilst  the  attention  of  Captain  Wilson  and  his  com- 
panions had  been  engaged  by  this  interesting  scene, 
the  night  had  crept  fast  on  them,  and  it  being  now  quite 
dark,  they  requested  leave  to  retire. 

Next  day  they  returned  to  their  own  island,  highly 
gratified  with  what  they  had  seen,  and  the  cordiality 
with  which  they  had  been  received.  All  hands  were 
now  kept  busily  employed  at  the  schooner,  which  was 
now  rapidly  advancing.  The  seamen  also  continued  to 
send  frequently  to  the  wreck,  from  whence  they  brought 
a  variety  of  articles  very  useful  to  them.  That  hunger 
is  an  excellent  sauce,  has  often  been  experienced,  but 
never  more  fully  than  at  present ;  they  discovered  about 
twenty  bags  of  rice  in  the  wreck,  which,  having  been 
so  long  under  water,  would  not  now  boil  to  a  grain,  but 
a  jelly;  yet  they  considered  it  as  very  savoury  food. 

In  the  afternoon  of  Monday,  the  8th  of  September, 
the  king  paid  our  people  a  visit,  attended  by  his  two 
brothers,  the  chief  minister,  and  several  of  his  other 
chiefs,  and  brought  them  some  fine  fish,  that  his  canoes 
had  caught  in  nets,  which  they  make  very  nicely. 

The  little  island  of  Oroolong  having  been  rendered 
far  more  commodious  to  the  English  by  the  many  ne- 
cessary establishments  they  had  made  since  the  king 
had  paid  them  his  former  visit,  there  was,  of  course,  a 
good  deal  of  additional  novelty  for  him  to  attend  to. 
After  he  had  pointed  out  to  his  tacklebys,  or  artificers, 
to  notice  with  particular  attention  everything  about  the 
barricade,  he  strolled  inquisitively  round  the  cove  with 
his  company.  The  noise  of  the  forge  which  our  people 
had  set  up,  and  which  was  then  at  work,  soon  drew  his 
attention  that  way.     It  happened  that  the  boatswain 


80  THE    PELEW   ISLANDERS. 

was  at  that  instant  beating  out  a  piece  of  hot  iron  upon 
a  pig  of  the  same  metal,  which  he  had  made  his  anvil. 
This  was  a  circumstance  so  entirely  new,  and  a  dis- 
covery so  interesting  to  them,  that  they  all  stood  ab- 
sorbed in  admiration.  They  could  not  be  persuaded  to 
keep  at  a  distance,  but  would  get  so  close  to  the  anvil 
as  to  receive  occasionally  a  hot  spark  on  their  naked 
bodies  ;  nor  did  this  deter  them  from  catching  with  their 
hands  the  luminous  particles  that  flew  from  under  the 
stroke  of  the  hammer.  Every  thing,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances as  the  present,  naturally  excited  wonder. 
When  the  iron  was  beaten  on  the  anvil  till  the  redness 
was  gone  off,  and  it  was  become  too  cold  to  be  mal- 
leable, they  could  not  comprehend  why  it  was  again 
put  into  the  forge.  The  throwing  water  on  the  fire  to 
make  it  burn  brisker,  was  also  a  new  source  of  surprise; 
and  it  was  with  much  difficulty  they  could  be  drawn 
away  from  a  scene  so  new  and  interesting  to  them. 
However,  the  noise  of  the  neighbouring  cooper,  who 
was  repairing  the  water-casks  for  sea-store,  was  attract- 
ing enough  to  allure  them  to  his  hut.  The  agility  with 
which  they  saw  this  man  work,  the  whirling  of  the 
casks,  the  knocking  down  of  the  hoops,  the  sound  from 
within,  and  the  quickness  with  which  they  perceived  a 
defective  cask  was  brought  round  and  perfect,  seemed 
altogether  to  impose-  on  their  minds  a  kind  of  magic 
influence.  They  stood  and  stared  at  one  another,  with 
looks  equally  expressive  of  astonishment  and  pleasure. 

The  king  after  this  took  leave  with  much  good  hu- 
mour, and,  accompanied  by  all  his  retinue,  returned  to 
Pelew. 

The  vessel  was  now  considerably  advanced,  when  an 
unlucky  accident  had  nearly  balked  their  high-raised 
expectations.  One  night  the  tide  rose  to  a  very  uncom- 
mon height,  and  had  nearly  washed  away  the  blocks 


THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS.  81 

from  under  her.  At  this  time  they  were  very  short  of 
hands.  Besides  those  at  Pelew,  three  were  very  sick, 
so  that  the  repairing  the  accident,  and  raising  a  strong 
bank  to  defend  from  any  similar  tide,  took  up  several 
days.  The  weather  was  at  this  time  so  stormy  and 
disagreeable,  that  on  some  of  the  days  they  could  not 
leave  the  tents  to  work.  The  jolly-boat  was  despatch- 
ed to  Pelew  for  provisions,  and  in  three  days  returned 
with  the  agreeable  news,  that  the  English  were  safely 
returned  to  Pelew,  from  the  second  expedition  to  Ar- 
tingall,  which  had  been  very  successful;  but  Abba 
Thulle  would  not  yet  part  with  them,  as  he  was  anxious 
to  show  them  his  gratitude  by  entertaining  them  in  the 
best  manner  he  could.  They  now  also  brought  with 
them  the  ship's  coppers,  which  some  of  the  natives  had 
carried  ofT  on  their  first  trip  to  the  wreck ;  and  which, 
coming  to  Raa  Kook's  knowledge,  he  had  ordered  them 
to  be  returned,  as  he  would  by  no  means  suffer  anything 
to  be  kept  that  belonged  to  the  English. 

By  the  2Gth  of  October  the  vessel  was  beamed,  and 
the  outside  caulking  was  completed.  A  consultation 
was  held  respecting  the  safest  method  of  launching 
her,  which  was  agreed  to  be  by  lajnng  ways,  rather 
than  by  large  rollers,  as  proposed  by  some.  They  had 
neither  pitch  nor  rosin;  but  this  want,  necessity,  the 
mother  of  invention,  taught  them  to  supply,  by  burning 
coral  stone  into  lime ;  then,  sifting  it  thoroughly,  they 
mixed  it  up  with  grease,  and  found  in  it  an  excellent 
substitute. 

Agreeably  to  a  previous  promise  he  had  made  to  the 
king,  Captain  Wilson  despatched  the  jolly-boat  to  Pe- 
lew on  the  morning  of  the  Gth  of  November,  under  the 
direction  of  Mr.  Sharp  and  Mr.  Matthias  Wilson,  who 
carried  along  with  them  all  the  iron  and  tools  they 
could  spare.     They  were  desired  to  inform  Abba  Thulle, 


O*  THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS. 

that  until  the  vessel  was  completely  finished,  they  could 
not  spare  him  the  muskets,  nor  any  more  tools,  but,  in 
the  mean  time,  they  hoped  to  have  the  pleasure  of  a 
visit  from  him,  as  they  expected  to  be  ready  to  sail  in 
a  few  days.  They  were  also  desired  to  express,  in  the 
warmest  manner,  the  high  sense  the  English  entertain- 
ed of  the  unbounded  kindness  they  had  received,  which 
they  were  determined  publicly  to  declare  on  their  return 
in  Britain.  While  Captain  Wilson  was  talking  with 
his  ambassadors  about  his  message,  Madan  Blanchard 
entered  the  apartment  in  quest  of  some  tools  he  wanted ; 
and  immediately  took  the  opportunity  of  desiring  Tom 
Rose,  who  was  to  be  of  the  party,  to  inform  the  king 
that  he  was  determined  to  stay  behind  and  reside  at 
Pelew:  and,  upon  the  captain  ridiculing  his  message, 
he  solemnly  declared  his  resolution  not  to  embark.  Many 
attempts  were  made  to  convince  him  of  the  impropriety 
of  such  a  step,  but  all  in  vain.  Meantime,  the  captain 
ordered  that  this  circumstance  should  not  be  mentioned 
at  present,  and  the  boat  departed.  By  Captain  Wil- 
son's desire,  Blanchard's  companions  used  every  argu- 
ment in  their  power  to  divert  him  from  a  scheme  so  very 
imprudent  in  every  point  of  view;  but  he  informed 
them  that  his  mind  was  resolved.  The  idea  of  desert- 
ing his  comrades  suggested  itself  on  his  return  from 
the  first  expedition  against  Artingall,  and  he  then  men- 
tioned it;  at  the  same  time  adding,  that  he  would 
cheerfully  join  in  their  daily  labours,  with  the  same 
diligence  and  perseverance  as  any  of  them,  but  that  he 
resolved  to  end  his  days  at  Pelew,  without  again 
encountering  the  elements. 

Next  day  the  boat  returned  from  Pelew,  having  in 
company  the  king,  his  young  favourite  daughter,  Raa 
Kook,  and  several  chiefs  of  distinction.  They  had  been 
impeded  by  a  storm.     The  Englishmen  in  the  pinnace 


THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS.  83 

fell  in  with  the  Pelew  company  in  their  canoes  during 
the  storm,  and  accompanied  them  to  the  island  of  Pe- 
thoull,  where  they  spent  the  night  together.  The  ladies 
who  were  of  the  party  expressed  not  a  little  disappoint- 
ment in  being  obliged  to  halt  a  night  by  the  way,  as 
they  were  very  impatient  to  see  the  launch  at  Oroolong. 
They  supped  together  very  cheerfully,  when  there  was 
again  opportunity  of  remarking,  that  no  one  presumed 
to  eat  till  the  monarch  pronounced  the  word  Munga, 
that  is,  Eat,  upon  which  a  signal  is  given  to  the  attend- 
ants without,  when  all  begin  to  eat  together.  Each 
one's  share  was  portioned  out  on  a  plantain  leaf,  which 
served  for  a  plate  ;  though  on  great  occasions  they  use  a 
sort  of  dish  made  of  tortoise-shell,  and  others  of  earthen- 
ware and  wood.  They  cut  their  meat  with  a  knife 
made  of  split  bamboo,  with  which  they  carve  very 
tolerably.  Mr.  Sharp  and  Mr.  Wilson  now  presented 
the  king  with  the  iron  tools,  which  were  very  gracious- 
ly received.  They  explained  the  method  of  using  them, 
to  which  Raa  Kook  paid  particular  attention. 

The  order  in  which  the  company  sat  during  this 
night's  entertainment  is  worthy  of  notice.  The  house 
in  which  they  all  were,  was  one  large  apartment ; 
torches  were  lighted  and  suck  in  betwixt  the  boards 
of  the  floor  in  a  line,  through  the  centre  of  the  room  ; 
and  the  company  sat  in  rows  with  their  backs  to  the 
light. 

When  ready  to  retire  to  rest,  the  servants  brought  in 
the  mats,  and  fires  being  .lighted  to  defend  from  the 
musquitoes,  the  torches  were  extinguished,  and  all  was 
silence. 

Next  morning  proved  calm,  and  they  set  sail ;  the 
king  and  his  daughter,  Raa  Kook,  and  another  chief, 
went  with  the  English  in  the  pinnace.  A  sudden  squall 
arising  nearly  overset  most  of  the  canoes ;  but  the  pin- 


84  THE    PELEW  ISLANDERS. 

nace  sailed  very  easily,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  Abba 
Thulle,  who  was  mightily  pleased  to  hear  that  Captain 
Wilson  proposed  leaving  her  with  him. 

We  come  now  to  contemplate  a  scene  peculiarly 
interesting.  On  the  morning  of  Sunday  the  9th  of 
November,  the  English  proceeded  before  daybreak  to 
make  ready  for  the  launch.  It  need  scarcely  be  men- 
tioned, that  uncommon  pains  had  been  taken  to  put 
every  thing  in  the  most  favourable  train  for  getting  her 
afloat.  About  seven  the  king  and  attendants  were  de- 
sired to  be  present,  and  in  a  little  time  the  vessel  was 
happily  launched,  to  the  general  joy  of  every  spectator. 
Never  was  there  a  more  affectingly  happy  scene.  Every 
eye  seemed  to  sparkle  with  a  lustre  borrowed  for  the 
occasion.  Every  countenance  looked  animated  with 
joy  and  heartfelt  satisfaction;  but  few  could  utter  their 
feelings;  looks  of  congratulation  were  exchanged,  while 
every  one  shook  his  neighbour's  hands  with  the  warm- 
est fervour. 

After  breakfast,  the  happiest  meal  they  had  made 
since  the  loss  of  the  Antelope,  the  English  proceeded 
to  carry  every  thing  on  board  with  all  possible  expedi- 
tion, and  in  the  afternoon,  the  flood  tide  coming  in,  the 
ship  was  hauled  into  the  basin,  where  they  had  four  or 
five  fathoms  of  water;  and  in  the  course  of  the  day 
they  got  on  board  all  the  provisions  and  stores,  except 
such  only  as  were  to  be  given  in  presents  to  the  king; 
and  in  the  morning  they  took  on  board  their  anchors, 
cables,  and  other  necessaries,  making  bitts,  and  fitting 
a  rail  across  the  stern  of  the  vessel. 

Abba  Thulle,  being  now  at  the  watering-place,  sent 
for  Captain  Wilson  to  attend  him ;  on  whose  arrival  it 
was  intimated  to  him,  that  the  rupacks  had  determined 
to  invest  him  with  the  Order  of  the  Bone,  and  to  create 
him  a  rupack  of  the  first  rank ;  an  honour  which  Cap- 


THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS.  85 

tain  Wilson  said  he  considered  very  flattering,  and  would 
receive  with  much  joy. 

Monday  the  10th,  the  old  dwellings  at  the  cove  were 
cleared,  and  all  the  necessaries  carried  on  board.  The 
wondering  natives  so  thronged  the  vessel,  that  the 
English  were  obliged  to  complain  to  Raa  Kook,  who 
received  orders  from  the  king,  that  none  but  rupacks 
should  go  on  board  ;  but  that  the  multitude  might  ob- 
serve her  at  some  little  distance  in  their  canoes.  As 
soon  as  the  sails  were  bent,  they  took  her  to  the  west 
side  of  the  island,  and  moored  her  in  six  fathoms  water. 
An  immense  concourse  of  natives  followed  in  their 
canoes,  hallooing  and  shouting  in  a  most  joyous  manner. 
The  king's  two  brothers  accompanied  them,  and  re- 
peatedly called  to  their  people  to  be  minute  in  observing 
the  management  of  the  ship ;  as  if,  at  some  period, 
they  expected  to  have  one  of  their  own.  The  captain 
then  went  on  shore  to  the  king,  who  was  waiting  for 
him  at  Oroolong.  Abba  Thulle  now  resumed  the  sub- 
ject of  sending  two  of  his  people  to  England.  He  told 
the  captain,  by  means  of  the  interpreter,  that  he  had  the 
happiness  of  being  much  respected  by  all  his  subjects, 
as  being  superior,  not  only  in  rank,  but  understanding. 
Yet,  after  living  with  the  English,  he  had  often  felt  his 
own  insignificance,  in  seeing  the  meanest  among  them 
display  an  ingenuity,  and  exercise  talents,  of  which  he 
had  no  conception.  He  had  therefore  resolved  to  part 
with  his  youngest  son,  Lee  Boo,  who  should,  in  com- 
pany with  one  of  the  Malays,  be  intrusted  to  Captain 
Wilson's  care,  that  he  might  be  instructed  in  such 
sciences  as  would  tend,  on  his  return,  to  advance  the 
prosperity  of  the  people,  and  reflect  honour  on  the  royal 
family.  He  described  the  youth  as  sensible,  of  a  mild, 
pliable  disposition,  and  a  stranger  to  every  kind  of  vice. 
He  was  under  the  care  of  an  old  man  who  lived  at  some 


86 


THE   PELEW    ISLANDERS. 


distance,  but  had  orders  to  be  at  Oroolong  in  the  morn- 
ing. Captain  Wilson  replied,  that  this  mark  of  his 
regard  and  esteem  affected  him  deeply,  and  he  should 
ever  think  of  his  confidence  with  pride.  He  assured 
Abba  Thulle,  that  any  person  belonging  to  Pelew  would 
meet  with  attention  from  him ;  but  the  son  of  the  man 
to  whom  he  had  been  so  much  indebted,  he  held  him- 
self engaged  by  every  tie,  to  treat  with  the  same  ten- 
derness as  his  own  son. 

The  weather  and  wind  appearing  favourable,  the  cap- 
tain informed  Abba  Thulle,  that  they  intended  sailing 
next  day.  Prince  Lee  Boo  arrived  in  the  evening  from 
Pelew,  under  the  care  of  his  elder  brother,  when  Abba 
Thulle  presented  him  to  the  captain,  and  then  to  the 
officers.  The  young  prince  accosted  them  in  so  easy 
and  polite  a  manner,  and  had  so  much  good  humour 
and  sensibility  in  his  aspect,  that  every  one  was  pre- 
possessed in  his  favour. 

Wednesday  morning  early,  an  English  jack  was 
hoisted  at  the  mast-head  of  the  Oroolong,  and  a  swivel 
fired  as  a  signal  for  sailing ;  which  being  explained  to 
the  king,  he  ordered  all  the  provisions  on  board  which 
he  had  brought  for  their  voyage.  A  great  number  of 
canoes  surrounded  the  vessel,  loaded  with  presents,  so 
that  it  was  with  difficulty  they  could  avoid  being  over- 
stocked. When  just  ready  for  sea,  a  boat  was  sent  on 
shore  for  the  captain,  who  then  took  Blanchard  and  the 
men  of  the  boat  into  a  temporary  hut  that  had  been 
erected,  and  making  them  kneel,  offered  up  thanksgiv- 
ings to  that  Power  who  had  supported  their  spirits 
through  so  many  hazards  and  toils,  and  had  at  last 
opened  to  them  the  door  of  deliverance. 

The  vessel  now  proceeded  towards  the  reef,  laden 
with  Abba  Thulle's  bounty  to  a  degree  of  superfluity, 
yet  surrounded  by  great  numbers  of  the  natives  in  their 


THE    PELEW    ISLANDERS.  87 

canoes,  who  had  every  man  brought  his  present,  for 
their  good  friends  the  Englees,  entreating  that  they 
might  be  accepted.  The  king  now  came  alongside, 
gave  Lee  Boo  his  blessing,  which  the  youth  received 
with  great  respect  and  tenderness.  He  next  embraced 
the  captain,  in  much  apparent  distress,  and  then  cor- 
dially shook  hands  with  all  the  officers,  crying,  "  You 
are  happy  because  you  are  going  home,  and  I  am  happy 
because  you  are  happy  ;  but  still  very  unhappy  myself 
to  see  you  going  away."  Once  more  renewing  his  as- 
surances of  regard  and  good  will,  he  left  the  vessel,  and 
went  into  his  canoe.  The  natives,  who  were  to  return 
with  the  king,  all  looked  up  to  the  vessel  eagerly,  but 
with  looks  more  expressive  than  language;  and  the 
English  might  say,  with  truth,  that  they  had  left  a 
whole  people  in  tears.  So  deeply  were  they  themselves 
impressed  with  the  scene,  that  it  was  with  much  diffi- 
culty they  summoned  resolution  enough  to  give  three 
cheers  at  their  final  departure ;  and  their  eyes  followed 
to  catch  the  latest  look.  Raa  Kook  remained,  with  a 
few  of  his  attendants,  to  see  them  out  of  danger  beyond 
the  reef;  but  was  so  deeply  dejected,  that  the  vessel 
had  gone  a  great  way  before  he  thought  of  summoning 
his  canoes  to  return.  As  he  had  been  their  first  friend, 
the  captain  gave  him  a  brace  of  pistols,  and  a  cartouch- 
box  with  cartridges ;  and  the  moment  of  separation 
being  now  come,  he  appeared  so  much  affected  that  it 
was  some  time  before  he  could  speak.  Pointing  to  his 
heart,  he  said  it  was  there  he  felt  the  pain  of  bidding 
them  adieu.  He  spoke  a  few  words  to  Lee  Boo ;  but, 
unable  to  proceed,  precipitately  went  into  the  boat,  and 
giving  them  a  last  expressive  glance,  instantly  dropped 
astern. 

After  a  favourable  voyage,  they  reached   Macao,  oh 


88  THE   PELEW    ISLANDERS. 

the  30th  November.  Here  they  had  to  part,  as  they 
could  only  obtain  passages  to  England  in  separate  ves- 
sels ;  and  it  is  pleasant  to  know  that,  after  all  the  dan- 
gers and  anxieties  they  had  undergone,  they  all  reached 
England  in  safety. 

Having  thus  presented  a  brief  but  faithful  picture  of 
the  adventures  of  our  countrymen  in  their  shipwreck  on 
the  Pelew  Islands,  a  few  words  respecting  the  fate  of 
Lee  Boo  are  all  that  our  space  permits  us  to  give.  The 
surprise  he  manifested  when  he  first  entered  an  English 
house  cannot  be  easily  described.  The  rooms,  the  fur- 
niture, and  ornaments,  all  severally  crowded  so  many 
new  objects  on  his  mind  at  once,  that  he  was  perfectly 
lost  in  astonishment.  Captain  Wilson  took  him  to  his 
own  house,  and  ever  treated  him  as  his  adopted  son. 
After  he  had  been  settled  a  little  time,  he  was  sent 
every  day  to  an  academy  to  be  instructed  in  reading  and 
writing,  which  he  was  himself  eager  to  attain,  and  most 
assiduous  in  learning.  His  whole  deportment  whilst 
there  was  so  engaging,  that  it  not  only  gained  him  the 
esteem  of  his  tutor,  but  also  the  affection  of  his  young 
companions  ;  and,  indeed,  he  was  so  courteous  and  plea- 
sant to  all,  that  he  became  a  general  favourite  wherever 
he  went.  The  world  of  wonders  that  surrounded  him, 
did  not  make  him  forget  his  friends  and  companions  in 
Pelew.  In  fact,  everything  that  he  saw  brought  them 
to  his  memory.  If  he  visited  a  garden,  he  attentively 
observed  the  plants  and  fruit-trees,  and  asked  many 
questions  about  them,  saying,  when  he  returned  home 
he  would  take  seeds  of  such  as  would  live  and  flourish 
in  Pelew.  He  talked  frequently  of  the  things  he  should 
persuade  the  king  to  alter  or  adopt ;  and  appeared,  in 
viewing  most  objects,  to  consider  how  far  they  might  be 
rendered  useful  to  his  own  country.      But  all  the  hopes 


HYMN   TO    THE    SETTING   SUN.  89 

of  his  friends  were  blasted.  While  advancing  rapidly 
in  his  studies,  he  was  attacked  with  the  smallpox,  and 
after  a  few  days'  illness  fell  a  prey  to  the  disease. 

About  five  years  after  the  death  of  Lee  Boo,  the  East 
India  Company  fitted  out  two  small  vessels,  which  they 
despatched  to  Pelew,  to  inform  the  king  of  the  death  of 
his  son.  When  the  vessels  reached  Pelew,  they  were 
cordially  welcomed  by  the  natives.  They  found  Abba 
Thulle  still  alive,  but  Blanchard,  Raa  Kook,  and  Arra 
Kooker,  and  many  of  the  old  warriors  who  had  been 
the  particular  friends  of  the  crew  of  the  Antelope,  had 
fallen  in  battle. 


HYMN  TO  THE  SETTING  SUN. 
(Supposed  to  be  sung  by  the  Northern  Peasantry. )|j 

Slow,  slow,  mighty  wanderer,  sink  to  thy  rest, 

Thy  course  of  beneficence  done ; 
As  glorious  go  down  to  the  ocean's  warm  breast 
As  when  thy  bright  race  was  begun. 
For  all  thou  hast  done, 
Since  thy  rising,  O  Sun  ! 
May  thou  and  thy  Maker  be  blest. 
Thou  hast  scattered  the  night  from  thy  broad  golden  way, 
Thou  hast  given  us  thy  light  through  a  long  happy  day, 
Thou  hast  roused  up  the  birds,  thou  hast  wakened  the 

flowers, 
To  chant  on  thy  path,  and  to  perfume  the  hours. 
Then  slow,  mighty  wanderer,  sink  to  thy  rest, 
And  rise  again  beautiful,  blessing  and  blest. 

Slow,  slow,  mighty  wanderer,  sink  to  thy  rest, 
Yet  pause  but  a  moment  to  shed 

7 


90  HYMN  TO   THE    SETTING   SUN. 

One  warm  look  of  love  on  the  earth's  dewy  breast, 
Ere  the  starr'd  curtain  fall  round  thy  bed? 
And  to  promise  the  time, 
When,  awaking  sublime, 
Thou  shalt  rush  all  refreshed  from  thy  rest. 
Warm  hopes  drop  like  dews  from  thy  life-giving  hand, 
Teaching  hearts  closed  in  darkness  like  flowers  to  ex- 
pand ; 
Dreams  wake  into  joys  when  first  touched  by  thy  light; 
As  glow  the  dim  waves  of  the  sea  at  thy  sight. 
Then  slow,  mighty  wanderer,  sink  to  thy  rest, 
And  rise  again  beautiful,  blessing  and  blest. 

Slow,  slow,  mighty  wanderer,  sink  to  thy  rest, 

Prolonging  the  sweet  evening  hour ; 
Then  robe  again  soon  in  the  morn's  golden  vest, 
To  go  forth  in  thy  beauty  and  power. 
Yet  pause  on  thy  way, 
To  the  full  height  of  day, 
For  thy  rising  and  setting  are  blest. 
When  thou  com'st  after  darkness  to  gladden  our  eyes, 
Or  departest  in  glory,  in  glory  to  rise, 
May  hope  and  may  prayer  still  be  woke  by  thy  rays, 
And  thy  going  be  mark'd  with  thanksgiving  and  praise. 
Then  slow,  mighty  wanderer,  sink  to  thy  rest, 
And  rise  again  beautiful,  blessing  and  blest. 

G.  P.  R.  James. 


RAMBLES    OF    A    NATURALIST.  91 


RAMBLES  OF  A  NATURALIST. 

The  succeeding  sketches  are  extracted  from  a  work  named  "Ram- 
bles of  a  Naturalist,"  by  Dr.  Godman,  an  American  naturalist  of 
great  and  deserved  reputation.  They  exhibit  a  freshness  of  de- 
scription and  an  enthusiastic  love  of  the  study  of  nature  that  can- 
not fail  to  charm  and  engage  the  attention  of  the  reader. 

One  of  my  favourite  walks  was  through  Turner's-lane 
near  Philadelphia,  which  is  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
long,  and  not  much  wider  than  an  ordinary  street,  being 
closely  fenced  in  on  both  sides  ;  yet  my  reader  may  feel 
surprised  when  informed  that  I  found  ample  employ- 
ment for  all  my  leisure,  during  six  weeks,  within  and 
about  its  precincts.  On  entering  the  lane  from  the 
Ridge  Road,  I  observed  a  gentle  elevation  of  the  turf 
beneath  the  lower  rails  of  the  fence,  which  appeared  to 
be  uninterruptedly  continuous  ;  and  when  I  had  cut 
through  the  verdant  roof  with  my  knife,  it  proved  to  be 
a  regularly  arched  gallery  or  subterranean  road,  along 
which  the  inhabitants  could  securely  travel  at  all  hours 
without  fear  of  discovery.  The  sides  and  bottom  of 
this  arched  way  were  smooth  and  clean,  as  if  much 
used :  and  the  raised  superior  portion  had  long"  been 
firmly  consolidated  by  the  grass  roots  intermixed  with 
tenacious  clay.  At  irregular  and  frequently  distant  in- 
tervals, a  side-path  diverged  into  the  fields,  and  by  its 
superficial  situation,  irregularity,  and  frequent  openings, 
showed  that  its  purpose  was  temporary,  or  had  been 
only  opened  for  the  sake  of  procuring  food.  Occasion- 
ally I  found  a  little  gallery  diverging  from  the  main 
route  beneath  the  fence,  towards  the  road,  and  finally 
opening  on  the  grass,  as  if  the  inmate  had  come  out  in 
the  morning  to  breathe  the  early  air,  or  to  drink  of  the 


02  RAMBLES    OF    A   NATURALIST. 

crystal  dew  which  daily  gemmed  the  close-cropped 
verdure.  How  I  longed  to  detect  the  animal  which 
tenanted  these  galleries,  in  the  performance  of  his  la- 
bours !  Farther  on,  upon  the  top  of  a  high  bank,  which 
prevented  the  pathway  from  continuing  near  the  fence, 
appeared  another  evidence  of  the  industry  of  my  yet  un- 
known miner.  Half  a  dozen  hillocks  of  loose,  almost 
pulverized  earth,  were  thrown  up  at  irregular  distances, 
communicating  with  the  main  gallery  by  side-passages. 
Opening  one  of  these  carefully,  it  appeared  to  differ  little 
from  the  common  gallery  in  size;  but  it  was  very  difficult 
to  ascertain  where  the  loose  earth  came  from,  nor  have  I 
ever  been  able  to  tell,  since  I  never  witnessed  the  for- 
mation of  these  hillocks,  and  conjectures  are  forbidden 
where  nothing  but  observation  is  requisite  to  the  decision. 
My  farther  progress  was  now  interrupted  by  a  delightful 
brook,  which  sparkled  across  the  road  over  a  clear, 
sandy  bed ;  and  here  my  little  galleries  turned  into  the 
field,  coursing  along  at  a  moderate  distance  from  the 
stream.  I  crept  through  the  fence  into  the  meadow  on 
the  west  side,  intending  to  discover,  if  possible,  the 
animal  whose  works  had  first  fixed  my  attention ;  but 
as  I  approached  the  bank  of  the  rivulet,  something 
suddenly  retreated  towards  the  grass,  seeming  to  vanish 
almost  unaccountably  from  sight.  Very  carefully  ex- 
amining the  point  at  which  it  disappeared,  I  found  the 
entrance  of  another  gallery  or  burrow,  but  of  very  dif- 
ferent construction  from  that  first  observed.  This  new 
one  was  formed  in  the  grass,  near  and  among  whose 
roots  and  lower  stems  a  small  but  regular  covered  way 
was  practised.  Endless,  however,  would  have  been 
the  attempt  to  follow  this,  as  it  opened  in  various  direc- 
tions, and  ran  irregularly  into  the  field,  and  towards  the 
brook,  by  a  great  variety  of  passages. 

Tired  of  my  unavailing  pursuit,  I  now  returned  to  the 


RAMBLES    OF    A    NATURALIST.  93 

little  brook,  and,  seating  myself  on  a  stone,  remained 
for  some  time  unconsciously  gazing  on  the  fluid  which 
gushed  along  in  unsullied  brightness  over  its  pebbly 
bed.  Opposite  to  my  seat  was  an  irregular  hole  in  the 
bed  of  the  stream,  into  which,  in  an  idle  mood,  I  pushed 
a  small  pebble  with  the  end  of  my  stick.  What  was 
my  surprise,  in  a  few  seconds  afterwards,  to  observe  the 
water  in  this  hole  in  motion,  and  the  pebble  I  had 
pushed  into  it  gently  approaching  the  surface !  Such 
was  the  fact ;  the  hole  was  the  dwelling  of  a  stout  little 
crayfish  or  fresh-water  lobster,  who  did  not  choose  to 
be  incommoded  by  the  pebble,  though  doubtless  he  at- 
tributed its  sudden  arrival  to  the  usual  accidents  of  the 
stream,  and  not  to  my  thoughtless  movements.  He  had 
thrust  his  broad  lobster-like  claws  under  the  stone,  and 
then  drawn  them  near  to  his  mouth,  thus  making  a  kind 
of  shelf;  and  as  he  reached  the  edge  of  the  hole,  he 
suddenly  extended  his  claws,  and  rejected  the  incum- 
brance from  the  lower  side,  or  down  stream.  Delighted 
to  have  found  a  living  object  with  whose  habits  I  was 
unacquainted,  I  should  have  repeated  my  experiment, 
but  the  crayfish  presently  returned  with  what  might  be 
called  an  armful  of  rubbish,  and  threw  it  over  the  side 
of  his  cell,  and  down  the  stream  as  before. 

Under  the  end  of  a  stone  lying  in  the  bed  of  the  stream, 
something  was  floating  in  the  pure  current,  which  at 
first  seemed  like  the  tail  of  a  fish  ;  and  being  desirous 
to  obtain  a  better  view,  I  gently  raised  the  stone  on  its 
edge,  and  was  rewarded  by  a  very  beautiful  sight.  The 
object  first  observed  was  the  tail  of  a  beautiful  sala- 
mander, whose  sides  were  of  a  pale  straw-colour, 
flecked  with  circlets  of  the  richest  crimson.  Its  long 
lizard-like  body  seemed  to  be  semi-transparent,  and  its 
slender  limbs  appeared  like  mere  productions  of  the 
skin.     Not  far  distant,  and  near  where  the  upper  end  of 


94  RAMBLES    OF    A    NATURALIST. 

the  stone  had  been,  lay  crouched,  as  if  asleep,  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  coloured  frogs  I  had  ever  beheld.  Its 
body  was  slender  compared  with  most  frogs,  and  its 
skin  covered  with  stripes  of  bright  reddish-brown  and 
greyish-green,  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  recall  the  beau- 
tiful markings  of  the  tiger's  hide.  It  was  now  past 
twelve  o'clock;  I  began  to  retrace  my  steps  towards  the 
city ;  and,  without  any  particular  object,  moved  along 
the  little  galleries  examined  in  the  morning.  I  had 
advanced  but  a  short  distance,  when  I  found  the  last 
place  where  I  had  broken  open  the  gallery  was  repaired. 
The  earth  was  perfectly  fresh,  and  I  had  lost  the  chance 
of  discovering  the  miner  while  watching  my  new 
acquaintances  in  the  stream.  Hurrying  onward,  the 
same  circumstances  uniformly  presented ;  the  injuries 
were  all  efficiently  repaired,  and  had  evidently  been 
very  recently  completed.  Here  was  one  point  gained ; 
it  was  ascertained  that  these  galleries  were  still  inha- 
bited, and  I  hoped  soon  to  become  acquainted  with  the 
inmates.  But  at  this  time  it  appeared  fruitless  to  delay 
longer,  and  I  returned  home  filled  with  anticipations  of 
pleasure  from  the  success  of  my  future  researches. 

On  the  day  following  my  first-related  excursion,  I 
started  early  in  the  morning.  No  particular  change 
was  discoverable  in  the  works  of  my  little  miner,  ex- 
cept that  all  the  places  which  had  been  a  second  time 
broken  down  were  again  repaired,  showing  that  the  ani- 
mal had  passed  between  the  times  of  my  visit;  and  it 
may  not  be  uninteresting  to  observe  how  the  repair  was 
effected.  It  appeared,  when  the  animal  arrived  at  the 
spot  broken  open  or  exposed  to  the  air,  that  it  changed 
its  direction  sufficiently  downwards  to  raise  enough  of 
earth  from  the  lower  surface  to  fill  up  the  opening ;  this, 
of  course,  slightly  altered  the  direction  of  the  gallery  at 
this  point,  and  though  the  earth  thrown  up  was  quite 


RAMBLES    OF    A    NATURALIST.  95 

pulverulent,  it  was  so  nicely  arched  as   to  retain  its 
place,  and  soon  became  consolidated.     Having  broken 
open  a  gallery  where  the  turf  was  very  close  and  the 
soil  tenacious,  I  was  pleased  to  find  the  direction  of  the 
chamber  somewhat  changed.     On  digging  farther  with 
my  clasp-knife,  I  found  a  very  beautiful  cell  excavated 
in  very  tough  clay,  deeper  than  the  common  level  of 
the  gallery,  and  towards  one  side.     This  little  lodging- 
room  would  probably  have  held  a  small  melon,  and  was 
nicely  arched  all  round.     It  was  perfectly  clear,   and 
quite  smooth,  as  if  much  used.     To  examine  it  fully,  I 
was  obliged  to  open  it  completely.      (The  next  day  it 
was  replaced  by  another,  placed  a  little  farther  to  one 
side,  exactly  of  the  same  kind ;  it  was  replaced  a  second 
time,  but  when  broken  up  a  third  time  it  was  left  in 
ruins.)     As  twelve  o'clock  approached,  my  solicitude  to 
discover  the  little  miner  increased  to  a  considerable 
degree ;   previous   observation  led  me  to  believe   that 
about  that  time  his  presence  was  to  be  expected.     I  had 
trodden   down  the   gallery  for  some  inches  in  a  con- 
venient place,  and  stood  close  by  in  vigilant  expectation. 
My  wishes  were  speedily  gratified.     In  a  short  time,  the 
flattened  gallery  began  at  one  end  to  be  raised  to  its 
former   convexity,   and   the   animal    rapidly   advanced. 
With  a  beating  heart,  I  thrust  the  knife-blade  down  by 
the  side  of  the  rising  earth,  and  quickly  turned  it  over 
to  one  side,  throwing  my  prize  fairly  into  the  sunshine. 
For  an  instant  he  seemed  motionless  from  surprise,  when 
I  caught  and  imprisoned  him  in  my  hat.      It  would  be 
vain  for  me  to  attempt  a  description  of  my  pleasure  in 
having  thus  succeeded,  small  as  was  my  conquest.     I 
was  delighted  with  the  beauty  of  my  captive's  fur; 
with  the  admirable  adaptation  of  his  diggers  or  broad 
rose-tinted  hands  ;  the  wonderful  strength  of  his  fore 
limbs,  and  the  peculiar  suitableness  of  his  head  and 


96  RAMBLES    OF   A    NATURALIST. 

neck   to  the   kind   of  life   the  Author  of  nature  had 
designed  him  for. 

My  next  visit  to  my  old  hunting-ground,  the  lane  and 
brook,  happened  on  a  day  in  the  first  hay-harvest,  when 
the  verdant  sward  of  the  meadows  was  rapidly  sinking 
before  the  keen-edged  scythes  swung  by  vigorous 
mowers.  This  unexpected  circumstance  afforded  me 
considerable  pleasure,  for  it  promised  me  a  freer  scope 
to  my  wanderings,  and  might  also  enable  me  to  ascertain 
various  particulars  concerning  which  my  curiosity  had 
long  been  awakened.  Nor  was  this  promise  unattended 
by  fruition  of  my  wishes.  The  reader  may  recollect 
that,  in  my  first  walk,  a  neat  burrow  in  the  grass  above 
ground,  was  observed,  without  my  knowing  its  author. 
The  advance  of  the  mowers  explained  this  satisfactorily  ; 
for  in  cutting  the  long  grass,  they  exposed  several  nests 
of  field-mice,  which,  by  means  of  these  grass-covered 
alleys,  passed  to  the  stream  in  search  of  food  or  drink, 
unseen  by  their  enemies  the  hawks  and  owls.  The 
numbers  of  these  little  creatures  were  truly  surprising ; 
their  fecundity  is  so  great,  and  their  food  so  abundant, 
that  were  they  not  preyed  upon  by  many  other  animals, 
and  destroyed  in  great  numbers  by  man,  they  would 
become  exceedingly  troublesome.  There  are  various 
species  of  them,  all  bearing  a  very  considerable  resem- 
blance to  each  other,  and  having,  to  an  incidental 
observer,  much  of  the  appearance  of  the  domestic  mouse. 
Slight  attention,  however,  is  requisite  to  perceive  very 
striking  differences ;  and  the  discrimination  of  these 
will  prove  a  source  of  considerable  gratification  to  the 
inquirer.  The  nests  are  very  nicely  made,  and  look 
much  like  a  bird's,  being  lined  with  soft  materials,  and 
usually  placed  in  some  snug  little  hollow,  or  at  the 
root  of  a  strong  tuft  of  grass.  Upon  the  grass-roots  and 
seeds  these  nibblers  principally  feed  ;  and,  where  very 


RAMBLES    OF    A    NATURALIST.  97 

abundant,  the  effects  of  their  hunger  may  be  seen  in  the 
brown  and  withered  aspect  of  the  grass  they  have  injured 
at  the  root.  But,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  the 
hawks,  owls,  domestic  cat,  weasels,  crows,  &c,  keep 
them  in  such  limits  as  prevent  them  doing  essential 
damage.  — 

I  had  just  observed  another  and  a  smaller  grassy 
covered  way,  where  the  mowers  had  passed  along, 
when  my  attention  was  called  towards  a  wagon  at  a 
short  distance,  which  was  receiving  its  load.  Shouts 
and  laughter,  accompanied  by  general  running  and 
scrambling  of  the  people,  indicated  that  some  rare 
sport  was  going  forward.  When  I  approached,  I  found 
that  the  object  of  chase  was  a  jumping-mouse,  whose 
actions  it  was  truly  delightful  to  witness.  When  not 
closely  pressed  by  its  pursuers,  it  ran  with  some  ra- 
pidity in  the  usual  manner,  as  if  seeking  concealment. 
But  in  a  moment  it  would  vault  into  the  air,  and  skim 
along  for  ten  or  twelve  feet,  looking  more  like  a  bird 
than  a  little  quadruped.  After  continuing  this  for  some 
time,  and  nearly  exhausting  its  pursuers  with  running 
and  falling  over  each  other,  the  frightened  creature  was 
accidentally  struck  down  by  one  of  the  workmen  during 
one  of  its  beautiful  leaps,  and  killed.  As  the  hunters 
saw  nothing  worthy  of  attention  in  the  dead  body  of 
the  animal,  they  very  willingly  resigned  it  to  me ;  and 
with  great  satisfaction  I  retreated  to  a  willow  shade,  to 
read  what  nature  had  written  in  its  form  for  my  in- 
struction. The  general  appearance  was  mouselike,  but 
the  length  and  slenderness  of  the  body,  the  shortness 
of  its  fore  limbs,  and  the  disproportionate  length  of  its 
hind  limbs,  together  with  the  peculiarity  of  its  tail,  all 
indicated  its  adaptation  to  the  peculiar  kind  of  action  I 
had  just  witnessed.  A  sight  of  this  little  creature 
vaulting  01  bounding  through  the  air  strongly  reminded 


98 


RAMBLES    OF    A    NATURALIST. 


me  of  what  I  had  read  of  the  great  kangaroo  of  New 
Holland  ;  and  I  could  not  help  regarding  our  little 
jumper  as  in  some  respects  a  sort  of  miniature  resem- 
blance of  that  curious  animal.  It  was  not  evident, 
however,  that  the  jumping-mouse  derived  the  aid  from 
its  tail,  which  so  powerfully  assists  the  kangaroo. 
Though  long  and  sufficiently  stout  in  proportion,  it  had 
none  of  the  robust  muscularity  which,  in  the  New  Hol- 
land animal,  impels  the  lower  part  of  the  body  imme- 
diately upward.  In  this  mouse,  the  leap  is  principally, 
if  not  entirely,  effected  by  a  sudden  and  violent  exten- 
sion of  the  long  hind  limbs,  the  muscles  of  which  are 
strong  and  admirably  suited  to  their  object.  We  have 
heard  that  these  little  animals  feed  on  the  roots,  &c.  of 
the  green  herbage,  and  that  they  are  every  season  to  be 
found  in  the  meadows.  It  may,  perhaps,  puzzle  some 
to  imagine  how  they  subsist  through  the  severities  of 
winter,  when  vegetation  is  at  rest,  and  the  earth  gene- 
rally frozen.  Here  we  find  another  occasion  to  admire 
the  all-perfect  designs  of  the  Author  of  nature,  who 
has  endowed  a  great  number  of  animals  with  the  faculty 
of  retiring  into  the  earth,  and  passing  whole  months  in 
a  state  of  repose  so  complete  as  to  allow  all  the  func- 
tions of  the  body  to  be  suspended,  until  the  returning 
warmth  of  the  spring  calls  them  forth  to  renewed  ac- 
tivity and  enjoyment.  The  jumping-mouse,  when  the 
chill  weather  begins  to  draw  nigh,  digs  down  about  six 
or  eight  inches  into  the  soil,  and  there  forms  a  little 
globular  cell,  as  much  larger  than  its  own  body  as  will 
allow  a  sufficient  covering  of  fine  grass  to  be  intro- 
duced. This  being  obtained,  he  contrives  to  coil  up  his 
body  and  limbs  in  the  centre  of  the  soft  dry  grass,  so 
as  to  form  a  complete  ball ;  and  so  compact  is  this, 
that,  when  taken  out,  with  the  torpid  animal,  it  may 
be  rolled  across  a  floor  without  injury.      In  this  snug 


AN    EVENING   WALK    IN    BENGAL.  99 

cell,  which  is  soon  filled  up  and  closed  externally,  the 
jumping-mouse  securely  abides  through  all  the  frosts 
and  storms  of  winter,  needing  neither  food  nor  fuel, 
being  utterly  quiescent,  and  apparently  dead,  though 
susceptible  at  any  time  of  reanimation  by  being  very 
gradually  stimulated  by  light  and  heat. 


AN  EVENING  WALK  IN  BENGAL. 

'  The  evening  was  so  fine  that  I  continued  to  walk  up  and  down, 
till  Abdullah  besought  me  not  to  take  so  much  exercise,  saying  it 
was  that  which  had  turned  my  hair  so  gray  since  my  arrival  in 
India." 

Our  task  is  done  !   o'er  Gunga's  breast, 

The  sun  is  sinking  down  to  rest; 

And,  moored  beneath  the  tamarind  bough, 

Our  bark  has  found  its  harbour  now ; 

With  furled  sail,  and  painted  side, 

Behold  the  tiny  frigate  ride. 

Upon  her  deck,  'mid  charcoal  gleams, 

The  Moslem's  savoury  supper  steams ; 

While,  all  apart,  beneath  the  wood, 

The  Hindoo  cooks  his  simpler  food. 

Come,  walk  with  me  the  jungle  through  ; — 

If  yonder  hunter  tell  us  true, 

Far  off,  in  desert  dank  and  rude, 

The  tiger  holds  his  solitude  ; 

(Nor  taught  by  recent  harm  to  shun 

The  thunders  of  the  English  gun); 

A  dreadful  guest,  but  rarely  seen, 

Returns  to  scare  the  village  green. — 

Come  boldly  on!  no  venom'd  snake  J 

Can  shelter  in  so  cool  a  brake ; 


100  AN   EVENING   WALK   IN    BENGAL. 

Child  of  the  sun  !   he  loves  to  lie 

'Mid  nature's  embers,  parch'd  and  dry, 

Where  o'er  some  tower,  in  ruin  laid, 

The  peepul  spreads  its  haunted  shade, 

Or  round  a  tomb  his  scales  to  wreath, 

Fit  warder  in  the  gate  of  death  ! 

Come  on !   Yet  pause  !  behold  us  now 

Beneath  the  bamboo's  arched  bough  ; 

Where,  gemming  oft  that  sacred  gloom, 

Grows  the  geranium's*  scarlet  bloom  ; 

And  winds  our  path  through  many  a  bower 

Of  fragrant  tree  and  giant  flower : — 

The  ceiba'sf  crimson  pomp  display'd 

O'er  the  broad  plantain's  humbler  shade, 

And  dusk  anana's  prickly  blade ; 

While,  o'er  the  brake  so  wild  and  fair, 

The  betel  waves  his  crest  in  air. 

With  pendent  train  and  rustling  wings, 

Aloft  the  gorgeous  peacock  springs ; 

And  he,  the  bird  of  hundred  dyes, 

Whose  plumes  the  dames  of  Ava  prize. — 

So  rich  a  shade,  so  green  a  sod, 

Our  English  fairies  never  trod  ; 

Yet,  who  in  Indian  bower  has  stood, 

But  thought  on  England's  '«  good  greenwood;" 

And  bless'd,  beneath  the  palmy  shade, 

Her  hazel  and  her  hawthorn  glade ; 

And  breath'd  a  prayer  (how  oft  in  vain!) 

To  gaze  upon  her  oaks  again. 

A  truce  to  thought !   the  jackal's  cry 
Resounds  like  silvan  revelry ; 

*  A  shrub  whose  deep  scarlet  flowers  very  much  resemble  the  ge- 
ranium, and  thence  called  the  Indian  geranium. 

|  The  ceiba  is  the  wild  cotton-tree.  A  canoe,  made  from  a  single 
trunk  of  this  tree,  has  been  known  to  contain  a  hundred  persons. 


AN    EVENING    WALK  IN    BENGAL.  101 

And,  through  the  trees,  yon  failing  ray 

Will  scantly  serve  to  guide  our  way. 

Yet,  mark  !  as  fade  the  upper  skies, 

Each  thicket  opes  ten  thousand  eyes  : — 

Before,  beside  us,  and  above, 

The  fire-fly  lights  his  lamp  of  love, 

Retreating,  chasing,  sinking,  soaring, 

The  darkness  of  the  copse  exploring; 

While,  to  this  cooler  air  confest, 

The  broad  dhatura  bares  her  breast, 

Of  fragrant  scent,  and  virgin  white, 

A  pearl  around  the  locks  of  night ! 

Still  as  we  pass,  in  soften'd  hum, 

Along  the  breezy  alleys  come 

The  village  song, — the  horn, — the  drum. — 

Still  as  we  pass,  from  bush  and  brier, 

The  shrill  cigala  strikes  his  lyre ; 

And,  what  is  she  whose  liquid  strain 

Thrills  through  yon  copse  of  sugar-cane  1 

I  know  the  soul  entrancing  swell ! 

It  is — it  must  be — Philomel ! 

Enough !   enough  !   the  rustling  trees 
Announce  a  shower  upon  the  breeze. — 
The  flashes  of  the  summer  sky 
Assume  a  deeper,  ruddier  dye ; 
Yon  lamp  that  trembles  on  the  stream 
From  forth  our  cabin  sheds  its  beam  ; 
And  we  must  early  sleep,  to  find, 
Betimes,  the  morning's  healthy  wind. 
But,  oh  !   with  thankful  hearts  confess 
Even  here  there  may  be  happiness  ; 
And  He,  the  bounteous  Sire, — has  given 
His  peace  on  earth — his  hope  in  heaven. 

Heber. 


102 


ASCENT   OF   MONT   BLANC. 

The  ascent  to  the  summit  of  Mont  Blanc  has  always  been  reckoned 
among  the  boldest  enterprises  of  a  traveller.  Many  attempts 
have  been  made,  but  very  few  have  proved  successful.  In  Au- 
gust, 1827,  the  ascent  was  performed  by  Mr.  John  Auldjo,  who 
published  a  very  animated  account  of  his  perilous  journey.  We 
select  a  few  extracts  fitted  to  give  some  idea  of  the  many  hair- 
breath  escapes  that  he  and  his  party  made  when  passing  the 
fearful  chasms  that  impeded  their  progress.  The  weather  being 
favourable,  the  author  set  out  from  Chamounix,  accompanied  by 
eight  guides,  four  of  whom  had  been  previously  up  to  the  top  of 
Mont  Blanc.  They  were  also  accompanied  by  some  persons  ;  but 
having  mounted  to  a  considerable  height,  the  latter  took  leave, 
whilst  they  connected  themselves  together  by  ropes  and  proceeded 
on  their  perilous  way. 

"  We  were  surrounded  by  ice  piled  up  in  mountains, 
crevices  presenting  themselves  at  every  step,  and 
masses  half  sunk  in  some  deep  gulf;  the  remainder, 
raised  above  us,  seemed  to  put  insurmountable  bar- 
riers to  our  proceeding ;  yet  some  part  was  found 
where  steps  could  be  cut  out  with  the  hatchet;  and 
we  passed  over  these  bridges,  often  grasping  the  ice 
with  one  hand,  while  the  other,  bearing  the  pole, 
balanced  the  body,  hanging  over  some  abyss,  into 
which  the  eye  penetrated,  and  searched  in  vaim  for 
the  extremity.  Sometimes  we  were  obliged  to  climb 
up  from  one  crag  of  ice  to  another,  sometimes  to 
scramble  along  a  ledge  on  our  hands  and  knees,  often 
descending  into  a  deep  chasm  on  the  one  side,  and 
scaling  the  slippery  precipice  on  the  other. 

"  A  large  mass  of  ice  now  opposed  our  progress  :  we 
passed  it  by  climbing  up  its  glassy  sides.  After  wind- 
ing some  time  among  chasms  and  enormous  towers,  we 
arrived  at  the  edge  of  another  crevice,  over  which  we 
could  see  but  one  bridge,  that  not  of  ice,  but  of  snow 


ASCENT  OF  MONT  BLANC.  103 

only,  and  so  thin  that  it  was  deemed  impossible  to  trust 
to  it.  A  plan  was  resorted  to,  which  enabled  us  to  pass 
over  in  safety :  our  batons  were  placed  on  it,  and  in 
doing-  so  the  centre  gave  way,  and  fell  into  the  gulf; 
however,  enough  remained  on  each  side  to  form  sup- 
ports for  the  ends  of  these  poles,  and  nine  of  them 
made  a  narrow  bridge,  requiring  great  percaution  and 
steadiness  to  traverse.  Other  crevices  were  passed 
over  on  bridges  of  snow,  too  weak  to  allow  of  walking 
on,  or  too  extended  to  admit  this  application  of  the 
poles.  A  strong  guide  managed  to  creep  over,  and  a 
rope  being  tied  round  the  waist  of  a  second,  who  lay  on 
his  back,  he  was  in  that  position  pulled  across  by  the 
first.  In  this  manner  the  whole  party  were  drawn 
singly  over  the  crevice." 

Rather  more  than  half-way  up  the  mountain,  two  sharp  pinnacles 
of  rock,  called  the  Grand  and  Petit  Mulets,  rise  above  the  snow  and 
ice.  The  Grand  Mulet  usually  affords  shelter  to  the  adventurers 
during  the  first  night  of  their  journey,  if  not  also  during  the  second 
—for  the  ascent  and  descent  together  more  frequently  require  three 
than  two  days.  When  the  party  approached  the  Grand  Mulet,  they 
found  it  nearly  inaccessible,  in  consequence  of  a  tremendous  fissure 
immediately  below  it.  In  front  was  a  solid  wall  of  ice  of  prodigious 
height,  to  which  there  was  only  one  perilous  approach  by  means  of 
a  promontory  projecting  from  the  site  on  which  the  party  stood. 
Coutet  the  chief  guide  cut  steps  in  the  wall  with  his  hatchet,  and 
thus  enabled  the  party  to  climb  over  it.  After  ascending  the  wall, 
Mr.  Auldjo's  route  lay  for  some  distance  along  the  top,  which  was 
very  narrow,  and  inclined  in  each  direction  towards  unfathomable 
gulfs. 

"  Taking  my  steps  with  the  greatest  caution,  I  could 
not  prevent  myself  from  slipping  ;  as  the  space  became 
wider  I  became  less  cautious,  and  while  looking  over 
the  edge  into  the  upper  crevice,  my  feet  slid  from  under 
me :  I  came  down  on  my  face,  and  glided  rapidly  to- 
wards the  lower  one  :   I  cried  out,  but  the  guides  who 


104  ASCENT    OF    MONT    BLANC. 

held  the  ropes  attached  to  me  did  not  stop  me,  though 
they  stood  firm.  I  had  got  to  the  extent  of  the  rope, 
my  feet  hanging  over  the  low  crevice,  one  hand  grasp- 
ing firmly  the  pole,  the  other  my  hat.  The  guides 
called  to  me  to  be  cool  and  not  afraid ;  a  pretty  time 
to  be  cool,  hanging  over  an  abyss,  and  in  momentary 
expectation  of  falling  into  it  !  They  made  no  attempt 
to  pull  me  up  for  some  moments,  but  then,  desiring  me 
to  raise  myself,  they  drew  in  the  rope  until  I  was  close 
to  them  and  in  safety.  The  reason  for  this  procedure 
is  obvious.  Had  they  attempted,  on  the  bad  and  un- 
certain footing  in  which  they  stood,  to  check  me  at  the 
first  gliding,  they  might  have  lost  their  own  balance,  and 
oar  destruction  would  have  followed  ;  but  by  fixing 
themselves  firmly  in  the  cut  step,  and  securing  them- 
selves with  their  batons,  they  were  enabled  to  support 
me  with  certainty  when  the  rope  had  gone  its  length. 
This  also  gave  me  time  to  recover,  that  I  might  assist 
them  in  placing  myself  out  of  danger." 

The  place  appropriated  for  the  repose  of  the  travellers  during  the 
night,  is  a  ledge  near  the  top  of  the  Grand  Mulet,  where  it  is  just 
possible,  by  laying  the  batons  against  the  rock,  to  form  a  kind  of  tent 
sufficient  to  cover  the  party  during  their  sleep.  Between  the  Grand 
Mulet  and  the  base  of  the  summit  expressly  termed  Mont  Blanc,  the 
way  zigzags  along  a  vast  ascending  hollow,  broken  by  three  plains 
of  ice,  the  last  of  which  is  called  the  Grand  Plateau. 

"  At  last  we  attained  the  Grand  Plateau,  the  largest 
of  the  plains  of  ice  on  the  mountain.  The  view  from 
this  situation  is  very  fine ;  the  mountains  around,  all 
rising  directly  from  the  plain,  have  a  most  striking 
appearance  ;  some  large  crevices  intersect  it,  and  others 
extend  immediately  under  Mont  Blanc,  where  the  guides 
were  lost  in  1820.  There  is  also  a  great  accumulation 
of  broken  ice  and  snow  from  avalanches,  on  the  part 
close  to  Mont  Blanc  and  the  Dome. 


ASCENT    OF    MONT    BLANC.  105 

"  The  sun  was  shining  on  some  parts  of  the  Plateau, 
but  far  from  us.  As  we  felt  the  cold  bitterly  we  agreed 
to  stop  at  the  commencement  of  the  plain,  in  a  crevice 
of  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  in  width.  In  it  we  found 
a  bridge,  which  on  examination,  was  considered  strong 
enough  to  bear  the  whole  party  at  once,  and  being  down 
in  the  chasm,  it  would  shelter  us  from  the  north  wind, 
which  had  blown  strongly  the  whole  morning,  and  now 
cut  us  most  acutely  on  our  elevated  situation.  We 
therefore  chose  this  bridge  to  breakfast  upon.  It  was 
past  seven,  and  we  had  been  walking  for  more  than  four 
hours  and  a  half,  without  any  rest  but  the  wearying  and 
tedious  halting  which  I  have  described.  It  was  with 
pleasure  that  I  found  all  anxious  to  stop  in  this  com- 
fortable crevice  ;  comfortable  compared  with  our  previous 
exposure  to  the  wind,  but  still  very  cold. 

"  While  breakfast  was  preparing,  I  could  not  resist 
the  temptation  of  wandering  along  the  edge  of  the  cre- 
vice on  the  Plateau  side.  The  depth  of  it  was  immense. 
The  deep  bluish-green  layers  of  ice,  now  varying  into 
others  more  or  less  so,  and  sometimes  nearly  white, 
were  shown  to  great  advantage,  with  thousands  of  long 
clear  icicles  hanging  from  all  the  little  breaks  in  the 
strata.  Immediately  to  the  right  of  our  bridge,  I  found 
that  the  opposite  side  of  the  crevice  formed  an  obtuse 
angle,  from  which  a  wall  of  ice  passed  along  the  side 
of  the  hill  which  we  had  last  ascended.  The  side  I  was 
standing  on  joined  an  immense  wall  or  precipice,  which 
crossed  the  remainder  of  the  space  between  the  angle 
thus  formed  and  the  Mont  Blanc  du  Tacul,  forming  a 
barrier  to  that  part  of  the  Plateau.  Under  our  bridge  I 
could  see,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  hung  suspended, 
with  all  the  guides  sitting  on  it,  was  a  beautiful  and 
curious  sight.  It  thrilled  through  my  body,  my  blood 
curdled  at  the  thought,  that  in  one  moment,  without  a 
8 


106  ASCENT    OF    MONT    BLANC. 

chance  of  escaping",  they  might  be  all  precipitated  into 
eternity.  Yet  no  such  idea  ever  entered  the  imagina- 
tion of  the  thoughtless  but  brave  guides,  who  sat  singing, 
laughing,  and  eating  as  hearty  a  meal  as  if  each  was 
safely  at  home  by  his  own  fireside,  either  unconscious 
or  regardless  of  the  danger  of  their  present  situation. 

"  The  time  allotted  for  our  repast  was  agreeably 
passed,  not  one  of  the  party  regretting  his  having  en- 
gaged in  this  expedition,  and  all  desirous  of  proceeding  ; 
therefore  the  meal  was  no  sooner  finished  than  we  pre- 
pared to  depart,  leaving  most  of  the  provisions  and  all 
the  knapsacks  which  we  had  brought  there  but  one. 
This  contained  bottles  of  negus,  a  mixture  of  vinegar, 
wine,  and  water,  boiled  with  spices  and  a  great  deal  of 
sugar  (a  capital  beverage  for  such  an  expedition), 
lemonade,  and  one  chicken,  in  case  any  of  us  should 
feel  disposed  to  eat  on  the  summit. 

"  We  traversed  the  Plateau,  winding  towards  the  left, 
or  Mont  Blanc  du  Tacul,  leaving  the  old  route  which 
led  right  across  the  plain,  and  ascended  the  steep  masses 
of  snow  and  ice  which  hang  on  this  side  of  Mont  Blanc, 
so  delicately  and  dangerously  poised,  that  the  slightest 
noise  or  concussion  of  the  air,  even  that  proceeding  from 
speaking,  moves  them  from  their  situation,  and  they 
fall,  rushing  down  the  declivities  with  overwhelming 
velocity,  widening  as  they  proceed,  till  at  last  they  ex- 
tend from  one  side  of  the  mountain  to  the  other,  and 
cover  the  plain  below  with  debris.  It  was  one  of  those 
avalanches,  or  slips  of  snow,  wThich,  in  this  very  spot 
involved  and  buried  under  its  mass,  in  the  deep  crevice, 
the  three  unfortunate  men  who  were  lost  in  the  expedi- 
tion formed  by  Du  Hamel. 

"At  last  the  sun  shone  forth  with  animating  heat, 
and  wrelcome  was  it  to  us,  for  our  pace  was  too  steady 
and  slow  to  give  us  an  opportunity  of  keeping  ourselves 


ASCENT    OF    MONT    BLANC.  107 

warm  by  exercise.  Cold  and  shivering  as  we  were, 
we  could  hardly  bear  the  fatigue  we  httd  now  to  en- 
counter, or  undertake  to  pass  the  dangerous  point  which 
we  found  in  the  direction  of  our  march,  and  which  must 
be  got  over,  though  it  was  some  consolation  that  it  was 
known  to  be  the  last  trial  we  were  to  undergo,  after  it 
there  being  only  two  enemies  to  contend  with — the  rari- 
fied  air,  or  the  fatigue  arising  from  climbing  the  almost 
perpendicular  ascent  which  leads  directly  to  the  summit. 

"  The  approach  to  this  last  danger  was  from  the  Pla- 
teau descending  into  a  broken  crevice,  and  thence  as- 
cending a  cliff  of  snow  exceedingly  steep,  which  brought 
us  to  a  wall  of  ice  some  feet  in  height;  having  scaled 
which,  we  found  a  declivity  of  snow,  inclining  towards 
a  precipice,  at  an  angle  of  70°.  Along  the  edge  of  this 
precipice  we  had  to  walk  for  some  minutes,  and  then  in 
zigzag  to  ascend  the  hill  until  we  came  to  a  plain. 
This  was  a  difficult  thing  to  accomplish,  and  to  keep  a 
footing  in  the  awkward  position  in  which  we  were 
obliged  to  move,  supporting  ourselves  with  the  right 
hand  buried  in  the  snow,  which  was  beginning  to  soften, 
to  keep  our  bodies  up ;  then  the  steps  being  cut,  and  soon 
worn  by  those  who  trod  in  them  first,  made  it  a  hazardous 
enterprise  to  move  forward ;  and  to  retreat  was  impos- 
sible. No  accident  did  occur,  and  I  thought  it  quite 
miraculous. 

"  Our  success  now  was  quite  certain,  and  we  con- 
gratulated each  other  on  this  happy  circumstance,  which 
inspired  each  member  of  the  party  with  fresh  animation 
and  spirit. 

11  While  engaged  in  passing  this  last  difficulty,  our 
attention  was  arrested  by  a  loud  noise  or  hissing  sound, 
which  the  guides  knew  to  proceed  from  some  vast  body 
of  ice  and   snow  falling  in  avalanche.     It  lasted  some 


108  ASCENT    OF    MONT    BLANC. 

moments,  and  finished  by  a  report  which  must  have 
been  caused  by  Jhe  precipitation  of  some  immense  mass 
upon  a  rock  or  plain.  In  an  instant  the  stillness  which 
had  been  disturbed  resumed  its  reign.  A  great  ava- 
lanche had  fallen.  The  guides  decided  that  it  was  upon 
the  Italian  side  of  the  mountain,  but  were  mistaken,  as 
was  afterwards  discovered. 

44  A  plain  of  snow  which  presented  no  difficulty  allow- 
ed us  to  proceed  with  great  comfort  and  to  quicken  our 
pace.  For  some  minutes  we  passed  along  the  base  of 
the  rocks  called  Rochers  Rouges,  and  came  to  an  ascent 
of  snow  leading  to  their  summit.  It  was  here  that  I 
first  felt  any  effect  from  the  rarity  of  the  air ;  for  soon 
after  I  began  to  ascend  there  was  an  oppression  on  the 
chest,  a  difficulty  of  breathing,  a  quickness  of  pulsation 
soon  followed,  with  a  great  inclination  to  thirst,  and  a 
fulness  in  the  veins  of  the  head  ;  but  still  I  experienced 
no  headache,  nor  was  there  the  slightest  symptom  of 
haemorrhage.  Most  of  the  guides  were  affected  in  the 
same  way. 

"At  nine  o'clock  we  were  on  the  last  point  of  the 
Rochers  Rouges,  and  came  again  into  the  old  line  of 
ascent,  which  we  had  quitted,  on  the  Grand  Plateau,  the 
first  deviation  from  which  had  been  made  by  Messrs. 
Hames  and  Fellows  on  the  25th  July  last.  These  gen- 
tlemen pursued  the  route  which  I  followed. 

44 1  felt  a  little  exhausted,  and  was  greatly  disap- 
pointed of  finding  that  the  lemonade,  the  best  thing  that 
could  be  used  for  refreshing  our  weakened  powers,  had 
been  lost  by  the  breaking  of  the  bottles.  I  was  obliged 
to  proceed  without  relief,  being  afraid  to  attack  the 
negus,  for  the  guides  must  have  shared  it,  and  we  might 
find  the  want  of  it  when  we  had  got  higher  up,  and 
when  the  increase  of  fatigue,  and  the  rarity  of  air,  would 


ASCENT    OF    MONT    BLANC.  109 

render  it  more  necessary  to  us  than  at  present,  every 
few  paces  that  we  ascended  the  oppression  and  suffer- 
ing becoming  greater. 

"  We  crossed  a  plain  of  snow,  which  rose  gently  from 
the  Rochers  Rouges  ;  at  the  end  of  it  was  the  only  cre- 
vice we  had  met  for  some  time.  It  was  deep  and  wide. 
One  bridge  was  tried,  but  it  gave  way ;  a  little  further 
another  was  found,  over  which  we  managed  to  pass,  by 
placing  the  batons  on  it,  and  being  drawn  over  on  our 
backs.  Two  or  three  managed  to  cross  on  another,  using 
great  care,  and  joined  us;  but  when  we  had  proceeded 
up  the  acclivity  before  us  some  little  distance,  we  were 
surprised  by  a  shrill  scream;  on  turning  we  beheld 
Coutet,  the  principal  guide,  up  to  his  neck  in  the  snow 
covering  the  crevice.  He  had  wandered  from  the  party, 
and  coming  to  the  crack,  sought  and  found  the  place 
where  the  guides  had  walked  across,  and  attempted  to 
follow  their  course;  but  not  taking  the  proper  care  to 
choose  their  footsteps,  had  got  about  eighteen  inches  on 
one  side  of  them,  and  the  consequence  was,  that  when 
in  the  centre,  he  sunk  up  to  his  shoulders,  saving  him- 
self from  inevitable  destruction  only  by  stretching  out 
his  arms,  his  baton  by  mere  chance  coming  obliquely  on 
the  bridge,  otherwise  he  would  have  slipped  through, 
and  all  attempts  to  have  saved  or  raised  him  out  of  the 
crevice  would  have  been  impossible.  The  perilous  situ- 
ation he  was  in  was  appalling ;  all  ran  down  to  him,  and 
he  was  drawn  out,  but  had  nearly  lost  his  presence  of 
mind,  so  greatly  had  he  been  terrified.  However,  he 
soon  recovered,  and  acknowledged  his  want  of  precau- 
tion, which  had  very  nearly  destroyed  the  pleasure  of 
the  undertaking,  when  we  were  so  near  its  happy  con- 
clusion. 

u  The  ascent  from  this  point  was  very  steep,  and  the 
difficulty  of  surmounting  it  was  greatly  increased ;   for 


110  ASCENT    OF    MONT   BLANC. 

those  effects  of  the  rarity  of  th$  atmosphere  which  we 
had  felt  previously,  now  became  exceedingly  oppressive. 
The  new  symptoms  I  now  experienced  were  violent  pal- 
pitation of  the  heart,  a  general  lassitude  of  the  frame, 
and  a  very  distressing  sensation  of  pain  in  the  knees 
and  muscles  of  the  thigh,  causing  weakness  of  the  legs, 
and  rendering  it  scarcely  possible  to  move  them.  We 
had  to  climb  about  one  hour  to  get  to  the  summit;  but 
this  part  of  the  undertaking  required  a  most  extraordi- 
nary exertion,  and  severe  labour  it  was.  At  length  I 
found  myself  upon  the  summit.  I  hastened  to  the 
highest  point  (towards  Chamounix)  ;  and  taking  my 
glass,  observed  that  the  party  on  the  Breven  had  no- 
ticed the  accomplishment  of  our  undertaking,  and  were 
rewarding  us  by  waving  their  hats  and  handkerchiefs, 
which  salutation  we  returned. 

"  The  most  peculiar  sensation  which  all  have  felt 
who  have  gained  this  great  height,  arises  from  the  aw- 
ful stillness  which  reigns,  almost  unbroken  even  by  the 
voice  of  those  speaking  to  one  another,  for  its  feeble 
sound  can  hardly  be  heard.  Nothing  I  ever  beheld  could 
exceed  the  singular  and  splendid  appearance  which  the 
sun  and  sky  presented.  The  blue  colour  of  the  one  had 
increased  to  such  a  depth  as  to  be  almost  black,  while 
the  sun's  disc  had  become  excessively  small,  and  of  a 
perfect  and  brilliant  white.  I  also  experienced  the  sen- 
sation of  lightness  of  body,  of  which  Captain  Sherwell 
has  given  a  description  in  the  following  words: — 'It 
appeared  as  if  I  could  have  passed  the  blade  of  a  knife 
under  the  sole  of  my  shoes,  or  between  them  and  the 
ice  on  which  I  stood.'  " 

Mr.  Auldjo  began  the  descent  at  noon,  with  the  view  of  getting 
back  to  Chamounix  that  night.  When  this  gentleman  and  his  party 
had  regained  a  particular  part  of  the  Plateau,  they  discovered  that, 
by  a  slight  variation  in  their  ascending  route,  they  had  escaped  a  slip 


ASCENT  OF  MONT  BLANC.  Ill 

of  snow  which  had  been  precipitated  down  the  usual  track  at  the 
moment  when  they  must  have  been  upon  it,  so  that  the  whole  might 
consider  their  lives  as  saved  by  a  mere  accident.  In  crossing  the 
Plateau,  Mr.  Auldjo  and  his  party  suffered  greatly  from  burning  heat, 
and  also  from  the  toilsomenesa  of  the  march,  the  snow  being  at  this 
period  of  the  day  melted  to  such  a  degree  as  to  take  them  up  to  the 
knees  at  every  step.  The  precipitous  intervals  between  the  various 
plateaux  were  descended  by  sliding — a  method  not  without  its  peiils, 
as  an  individual,  in  attempting  it,  is  liable  to  overshoot  his  point,  and 
glide  into  chasms  from  which  he  might  never  again  ascend.  As  they 
proceeded,  the  materials  of  a  thunder-storm  gathered  in  the  sky,  and 
a  thick  sleet  began  to  fall.  Some  time  after  passing  the  Grand  Mulct, 
perplexed  by  the  storm,  they  lost  their  way,  and  soon  found  them- 
selves wandering  amidst  numberless  crevices,  where  progress  was 
not  less  difficult  than  dangerous. 

"  The  storm  recommenced  with  greater  violence  than 
before;  the  hailstones,  large  and  sharp,  driven  with 
force  by  the  wind,  inflicted  great  pain  on  the  face;  we 
were  exposed  to  it,  standing  on  a  narrow  ledge,  over- 
hanging an  abyss.  Here  we  awaited  for  a  short  time 
the  return  of  two  guides,  sent  to  explore  the  crevices 
and  banks  around  us,  in  an  endeavour  to  discover  the 
route  of  our  ascent,  but  with  very  little  hope  of  success  ; 
indeed,  it  was  greatly  feared  that  we  should  have  to 
remain  where  we  were  for  that  night.  The  storm,  in- 
creasing every  instant,  compelled  us  to  seek  some  place 
in  the  glacier  in  which  we  could  obtain  shelter;  fol- 
lowing the  footmarks  of  the  guides  who  had  gone  for- 
ward, we  succeeded  in  finding  a  recess,  formed  by  the 
projection  of  a  part  of  the  glacier  over  a  narrow  ledge 
in  the  side  of  a  crevice.  We  could  form  no  idea  of  the 
depth  of  the  chasm,  but  its  width  appeared  to  be  about 
twenty  feet,  and  its  opposite  side  rose  considerably  above 
us.  Along  this  ledge  we  moved  with  great  care,  and 
had  just  space  to  stand  in  a  bending  posture,  and  in  a 
row.  Wet  through,  and  suffering  excruciating  torture 
from  the  cold,  our  position  was  both  painful  and  danger- 


112  ASCENT  OF  MONT  BLANC. 

ous.  The  tempest  raged  with  the  most  awful  fury ;  the 
gusts  of  wind  sweeping  through  the  chasm  with  tre- 
mendous violence,  the  pelting  showers  of  hail,  accom- 
panied by  most  vivid  lightning,  and  peals  of  thunder, 
alternating  with  a  perfect  calm,  were  enough  to  appal 
the  bravest  of  the  party 

"  We  waited  for  some  time  in  this  situation,  when,  in 
one  of  those  moments  of  calm,  we  heard  the  loud  halloo 
of  one  of  the  exploring  guides,  who  was  returning  to  us, 
and  called  to  us  to  advance,  for  they  had  found  the 
angle  which  we  had  so  much  difficulty  in  climbing  up 
the  day  before.  We  soon  joined  him  and  his  companion, 
who  conducted  us  to  it.  Nearly  deprived  of  the  use  of 
my  limbs,  from  the  excessive  cold  and  wet  state  of  my 
apparel,  I  could  scarcely  walk ;  my  fingers  were  nearly 
frozen,  and  my  hands  so  stiffened  and  senseless,  that  I 
could  not  hold  my  baton,  or  keep  myself  from  falling. " 

It  was  in  this  state  that  Mr.  Auldjo  was  brought  to  a  wall  of  ice 
which  he  had  to  descend  for  a  certain  way,  in  order  to  get  upon  a 
point  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  chasm. 

"  Being  incapable  of  making  any  exertion,  I  was 
lowered  down  to  the  guides,  who  were  already  on  the 
ledge  beneath  the  wall.  At  the  very  moment  I  was 
rocking  in  the  air,  a  flash  of  lightning  penetrated  into 
the  abyss,  and  showed  all  the  horrors  of  my  situation ; 
while  the  crash  of  the  thunder  seemed  to  tear  the  gla- 
cier down  upon  me.  I  was  drawn  on  to  the  neck  of  ice, 
and  set  down  until  the  other  guides  had  descended. 
The  hearts  of  two  or  three  failed,  and  they  declared  that 
we  must  all  perish  ;  the  others,  though  conscious  of  our 
awfully  dangerous  position,  endeavoured  to  raise  the 
courage  and  keep  up  the  spirits  of  the  depressed.  All 
suffered  dreadfully  from  the  cold,  but,  with  a  solicitude 
for  which  I  shall  ever  feel  deeply  grateful,  they  still  at- 


NARRATIVE   OF  THE   PICARD    FAMILY.  113 

tended  to  me  in  the  kindest  manner.  They  desired  me 
to  stand  up,  and,  forming  a  circle,  in  the  centre  of  which 
I  stood,  closed  round  me.  In  a  few  minutes,  the  warmth 
of  their  bodies  extended  itself  to  mine,  and  I  felt  much 
relieved ;  they  then  took  off  their  coats,  covering  me 
with  them,  and  each  in  turn  put  my  hands  into  his 
bosom,  while  another  lay  on  my  feet.  In  ten  minutes  I 
was  in  a  state  to  proceed." 

At  no  late  hour  in  the  evening,  Mr.  Auldjo  returned  to  Chamounix, 
from  which  he  had  been  only  thirty- seven  hours  absent.  He  was 
met  and  congratulated  by  a  great  number  of  strangers  and  natives 
who  had  felt  an  interest  in  his  undertaking,  and  to  all  of  whom  he 
declared  that  the  magnificence  of  what  he  had  seen  much  more  than 
compensated  for  the  pain  of  what  he  had  felt. 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  PICARD  FAMILY. 

The  colony  of  Senegal,  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  was 
captured  from  the  French  by  the  English  in  the  year 
1809,  but  was  ceded  to  its  former  masters  at  the  peace 
of  1815,  when  the  French  government  fitted  out  an  ex- 
pedition, consisting  of  the  governor  and  other  functiona- 
ries, to  take  possession  of  the  restored  settlement.  The 
vessels  dispatched  for  this  purpose  (May  1816)  were 
the  Medusa  frigate,  the  Loire  store-ship,  the  Argus  brig, 
and  the  Echo  corvette.  On  board  of  the  Medusa,  there 
was  a  family  of  the  name  of  Picard,  whose  story,  from 
the  sufferings  which  they  endured,  has  excited  no  small 
degree  of  sympathy.  Monsieur  Picard,  the  father,  was^ 
an  aged  man,  and  a  lawyer  by  profession,  who  had 
sought  for,  and  with  difficulty  obtained,  the  situation  of 


114       NARRATIVE  OF  THE  PICARD  FAMILY. 

resident  attorney  at  Senegal,  where  he  had  formerly 
been  for  several  years.  He  was  accompanied  by  his 
eldest  daughter,  Mademoiselle,  and  her  sister  Catherine, 
both  children  by  a  first  marriage,  and  his  wife  and 
younger  daughters;  the  whole  composing  a  happy 
group,  but  ill  calculated  to  endure  the  horrors  which 
overtook  the  luckless  expedition. 

During  several  days  the  voyage  was  delightful.  All 
the  ships  of  the  expedition  kept  together;  but  at  length 
the  breeze  became  changeable,  and  they  all  disappeared 
from  each  other.  The  Peak  of  Teneriffe  was  passed 
by  the  Medusa  on  the  28th  of  June,  and  soon  the  shores 
of  Sahara  came  in  sight.  Off  this  low  part  of  the 
coast  of  Africa  lies  the  Arguin  Bank,  a  sandy  reef, 
dangerous  to  mariners,  and  which  the  ignorant  and 
headstrong  captain  of  the  Medusa,  notwithstanding  all 
the  hints  on  the  subject,  persisted  in  disregarding.  In 
the  mean  while,  the  wind,  blowing  with  great  violence, 
impelled  the  vessel  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  danger 
which  menaced  it.  A  species  of  stupor  overpowered 
the  minds  of  those  on  board,  and  a  mournful  silence 
prevailed.  The  colour  of  the  water  entirely  changed  ; 
a  circumstance  remarked  even  by  the  ladies.  About 
three  in  the  afternoon  of  the  2d  of  July,  being  in  19° 
30'  north  latitude,  a  universal  cry  was  heard  upon  deck. 
All  declared  they  saw  the  sand  rolling  among  the  ripples 
of  the  sea.  The  captain  in  an  instant  ordered  to  sound. 
The  line  gave  eighteen  fathoms,  but  on  a  second  sound- 
ing it  gave  only  six.  He  at  last  saw  his  error,  and 
hesitated  no  longer  on  changing  the  route,  but  it  was 
too  late.  A  strong  concussion  told  that  the  frigate  had 
struck.  Terror  and  consternation  were  instantly  de- 
picted in  every  face ;  the  crew  stood  motionless,  and 
the  passengers  were  in  utter  despair.  The  account  of 
the  miserable  shipwreck  which  ensued  is  already  well 


NARRATIVE   OF  THE   PICARD  FAMILY.  115 

known.  Not  only  the  worst  possible  management  was 
displayed,  but  an  absolute  want  of  humanity  and 
bravery.  The  governor  and  other  exalted  functionaries 
attempted  to  leave  the  crew  and  humbler  passengers  to 
their  fate,  but  were  prevented  by  the  soldiers  :  at 
length  a  raft  was  formed  and  covered  with  passengers, 
nearly  all  of  whom  perished  either  by  one  another's 
knives,  by  hunger,  or  by  drowning ;  several  boats  were 
also  filled,  but  only  two  were  properly  provisioned  ; 
and,  in  short,  out  of  four  hundred  persons  who  were 
on  board,  onty  a  few  reached  Senegal  in  the  provision- 
ed boats,  and  two  small  parties  were  able  to  effect  a 
landing,  which  was  not  till  the  fourth  day  after  the 
abandonment  of  the  wreck,  and  when  hunger  overcame 
the  fear  of  the  natives. 

Among  the  persons  who  reached  the  shore,  were  the 
Picards,  in  a  state  approaching  to  utter  destitution. 
44  Doubtless,  we  experienced  great  joy  at  having  es- 
caped the  fury  of  the  flood  (says  Mademoiselle,  the 
eldest  daughter,  in  her  narrative,  which  we  quote  in  an 
abridged  form),  but  how  much  was  it  lessened  by  the 
feelings  of  our  horrible  situation !  Without  water, 
without  provisions,  and  the  majority  of  us  nearly  naked, 
was  it  to  be  wondered  at  that  we  should  be  seized  with 
terror,  on  thinking  on  the  obstacles  which  we  had  to 
surmount,  the  fatigues,  the  privations,  the  pains,  and 
the  sufferings,  we  had  to  endure,  with  the  dangers  we 
had  to  encounter  in  the  immense  and  frightful  desert 
we  had  to  traverse  before  we  could  arrive  at  our  des- 
tination. About  seven  in  the  morning,  a  caravan  was 
formed  to  penetrate  into  the  interior,  for  the  purpose  of 
finding  some  fresh  water.  We  did  accordingly  find 
some  at  a  little  distance  from  the  sea,  by  digging  among 
the  sand.  Every  one  instantly  flocked  round  the  little 
wells,  which  furnished  enough  to  quench  our  thirst. 


116       NARRATIVE  OF  THE  PICARD  FAMILY. 

This  brackish  water  was  found  to  be  delicious,  although 
it  had  a  sulphureous  taste;  its  colour  was  that  of  whey. 
As  all  our  clothes  were  wet  and  in  tatters,  and  as  we 
had  nothing  to  change  them,  some  generous  officers 
offered  theirs.  My  stepmother,  my  cousin,  and  my 
sister,  were  dressed  in  them  ;  for  myself,  I  prefened 
keeping  my  own.  We  remained  nearly  an  hour  beside 
our  beneficent  fountain,  then  took  the  route  for  Senegal ; 
that  is,  a  southerly  direction,  for  we  did  not  know  ex- 
actly where  that  country  lay.  It  was  agreed  that  the 
females  and  children  should  walk  before  the  caravan, 
that  they  might  not  be  left  behind.  The  sailors  volun- 
tarily carried  the  youngest  on  their  shoulders,  and  every 
one  took  the  route  along  the  coast.  Notwithstanding 
it  was  nearly  seven  o'clock,  the  sand  was  quite  burning, 
and  we  suffered  severely,  walking  without  encountering 
any  thing  but  shells,  which  wounded  our  feet. 

"On  the  morning  of  the  9  th,  we  saw  an  antelope  on 
the  top  of  a  little  hill,  which  instantly  disappeared  be- 
fore we  had  time  to  shoot  it.  The  desert  seemed  to  our 
view  one  immense  plain  of  sand,  on  which  was  seen 
not  one  blade  of  verdure.  However,  we  still  found 
water  by  digging  in  the  sand.  In  the  forenoon,  two 
officers  of  marine  complained  that  our  family  incommo- 
ded the  progress  of  the  caravan.  It  is  true  the  females 
and  the  children  could  not  walk  so  quickly  as  the  men. 
We  walked  as  fast  as  it  was  possible  for  us  ;  neverthe- 
less, we  often  fell  behind,  which  obliged  them  to  halt 
till  we  came  up.  These  officers,  joined  with  other  in- 
dividuals, considered  among  themselves  whether  they 
would  wait  for  us,  or  abandon  us  in  the  desert.  I  will 
be  bold  to  say,  however,  that  but  few  were  of  the  latter 
opinion.  My  father  being  informed  of  what  was  plot- 
ting against  us,  stepped  up  to  the  chiefs  of  the  conspi- 
racy,  and  reproached  them  in  the  bitterest  terms  for 


NARRATIVE   OF    THE    PICARD    FAMILY.  117 

their  selfishness  and  brutality.  The  dispute  waxed  hot. 
Those  who  were  desirous  of  leaving  us  drew  their 
swords,  and  my  father  put  his  hand  upon  a  poniard, 
with  which  he  had  provided  himself  on  quitting  the 
frigate.  At  this  scene,  we  threw  ourselves  in  between 
them,  conjuring  him  rather  to  remain  in  the  desert  with 
his  family,  than  seek  the  assistance  of  those  who  were, 
perhaps,  less  humane  than  the  Moors  themselves.  Seve- 
ral people  took  our  part,  particularly  M.  Begnere,  cap- 
tain of  infantry,  who  quieted  the  dispute  by  saying  to 
his  soldiers,  *  My  friends,  you  are  Frenchmen,  and  I 
have  the  honour  to  be  your  commander ;  let  us  never 
abandon  an  unfortunate  family  in  the  desert,  so  long 
as  we  are  able  to  be  of  use  to  them.'  This  brief  but 
energetic  speech  caused  those  to  blush  who  wished  to 
leave  us.  All  then  joined  with  the  old  captain,  saying 
they  would  not  leave  us  on  condition  we  would  walk 
quicker.  M.  Begnere  and  his  soldiers  replied,  they  did 
not  wish  to  impose  conditions  on  those  to  whom  they 
were  desirous  of  doing  a  favour;  and  the  unfortunate 
family  of  Picard  were  again  on  the  road  with  the  whole 
caravan. 

"  About  noon,  hunger  was  felt  so  powerfully  among 
us,  that  it  was  agreed  upon  to  go  to  the  small  hills  of 
sand  which  were  near  the  coast,  to  see  if  any  herbs 
could  be  found  fit  for  eating ;  but  we  only  got  poison- 
ous plants,  among  which  were  various  kinds  of  euphor- 
bium.  Convolvuli  of  a  bright  green  carpeted  the  downs  ; 
but  on  tasting  their  leaves,  we  found  them  as  bitter  as 
gall.  The  caravan  rested  in  this  place,  whilst  several 
officers  went  farther  into  the  interior.  They  came  back 
in  about  an  hour,  loaded  with  wild  purslain,  which  they 
distributed  to  each  of  us.  Every  one  instantly  devoured 
his  bunch  of  herbage,  without  leaving  the  smallest 
branch;   but  as  our  hunger  was  far  from  being  satisfied 


118       NARRATIVE  OF  THE  PICARD  FAMILY. 

with  this  small  allowance,  the  soldiers  and  sailors  be- 
took themselves  to  look  for  more.  They  soon  brought 
back  a  sufficient  quantity,  which  was  equally  distri- 
buted, and  devoured  upon  the  spot,  so  delicious  had 
hunger  made  that  food  to  us.  For  myself,  I  declare  I 
never  ate  any  thing  with  so  much  appetite  in  all  my 
life.  Water  was  also  found  in  this  place,  but  it  was  of 
an  abominable  taste.  After  this  truly  frugal  repast,  we 
continued  our  route.  The  heat  was  insupportable  in 
the  last  degree.  The  sands  on  which  we  trode  were 
burning;  nevertheless,  several  of  us  walked  on  these 
scorching  coals  without  shoes;  and  the  females  had  no- 
thing but  their  hair  for  a  cap.  When  we  reached  the 
sea-shore,  we  all  ran  and  lay  down  among  the  waves. 
After  remaining  there  some  time,  we  took  our  route 
along  the  wet  beach.  On  our  journey  we  met  with 
several  large  crabs,  which  were  of  considerable  service 
to  us.  Every  now  and  then  we  endeavoured  to  slake 
our  thirst  by  sucking  their  crooked  claws.  About  nine 
at  night  we  halted  between  two  pretty  high  sand-hills. 
After  a  short  talk  concerning  our  misfortunes,  all  seemed 
desirous  of  passing  the  night  in  this  place,  notwith- 
standing we  heard  on  every  side  the  roaring  of  leo- 
pards. 

"  Our  situation  had  been  thus  perilous  during  the 
night ;  nevertheless,  at  break  of  day  we  had  the  satis- 
faction of  finding  none  missing.  About  sunrise  we  held 
a  little  to  the  east,  to  get  farther  into  the  interior  to  find 
fresh  water,  and  lost  much  time  in  a  vain  search.  The 
country  which  we  now  traversed  was  a  little  less  arid 
than  that  which  we  had  passed  the  preceding  day.  The 
hills,  the  valleys,  and  a  vast  plain  of  sand,  were 
strewed  with  mimosa  or  sensitive  plants,  presenting  to 
our  sight  a  scene  we  had  never  before  seen  in  the  desert. 
The  country  is  bounded  as  it  were  by  a  chain  of  moun- 


NARRATIVE    OF    THE    PICARD    FAMILY.  119 

tains,  or  high  downs  of  sand,  in  the  direction  of  north 
and  south,  without  the  slightest  trace  of  cultivation. 

"  Towards  ten  in  the  morning,  some  of  our  companions 
were  desirous  of  making  observations  in  the  interior, 
and  they  did  not  go  in  vain.  They  instantly  returned, 
and  told  us  they  had  seen  two  Arab  tents  upon  a  slight 
rising  ground.  .  We  instantly  directed  our  steps  thither. 
We  had  to  pass  great  downs  of  sand  very  slippery,  and 
arrived  in  a  large  plain,  streaked  here  and  there  with 
verdure  ;  but  the  turf  was  so  hard  and  piercing,  that  we 
could  scarcely  walk  over  it  without  wounding  our  feet. 
Our  presence  in  these  frightful  solitudes  put  to  flight 
three  or  four  Moorish  shepherds,  wTho  herded  a  small 
flock  of  sheep  and  goats  in  an  oasis.  At  last  we  arrived 
at  the  tents  after  which  we  were  searching,  and  found  in 
them  three  Mooresses  and  two  little  children,  who  did 
not  seem  in  the  least  frightened  by  our  visit.  A  negro 
servant,  belonging  to  an  officer  of  marine,  interpreted 
between  us  and  the  good  women,  who,  when  they  had 
heard  of  our  misfortunes,  offered  us  millet  and  water  for 
payment.  We  bought  a  little  of  that  grain  at  the  rate 
of  thirty  pence  a  handful  :  the  water  was  got  for  three 
francs  a  glass ;  it  was  very  good,  and  none  grudged  the 
money  it  cost.  As  a  glass  of  water,  with  a  handful  of 
millet,  was  but  a  poor  dinner  for  famished  people,  my 
father  bought  two  kids,  which  they  would  not  give  him 
under  twenty  piastres.  We  immediately  killed  them, 
and  our  Mooresses  boiled  them  in  a  large  kettle." 

Resuming  their  march,  the  party  fell  in  with  several 
friendly  Moors  or  Arabs,  who  conducted  them  to  their 
encampment.  "  We  found  a  Moor  in  the  camp  who 
had  previously  known  my  father  in  Senegal,  and  who 
spoke  a  little  French.  We  were  all  struck  with  astonish- 
ment at  the  unexpected  meeting.  My  father  recollected 
having  employed  long  ago  a  young  goldsmith  at  Sen- 


1210  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    PICARD    FAMILY. 

egal,  and,  discovering  the  Moor  Amet  to  be  the  same 
person,  shook  him  by  the  hand.  After  that  good  fellow 
had  been  made  acquainted  with  our  shipwreck,  and  to 
what  extremities  our  unfortunate  family  had  been 
reduced,  he  could  not  refrain  from  tears.  Amet  was 
not  satisfied  with  deploring  our  hard  fate ;  he  was 
desirous  of  proving  that  he  was  generous  and  humane, 
and  instantly  distributed  among  us  a  large  quantity  of 
milk  and  water  free  of  any  charge.  He  also  raised  for 
our  family  a  large  tent  of  the  skins  of  camels,  cattle, 
and  sheep,  because  his  religion  would  not  allow  him  to 
lodge  with  Christians  under  the  same  roof.  The  place 
appeared  very  dark,  and  the  obscurity  made  us  uneasy. 
Amet  and  our  conductors  lighted  a  large  fire  to  quiet  us  ; 
and  at  last  bidding  us  good  night,  and  retiring  to  his 
tent,  said,  *  Sleep  in  peace ;  the  God  of  the  Christians 
is  also  the  God  of  the  Mussulmen.'  " 

Next  day  the  band  of  wayfarers,  assisted  by  asses 
which  they  had  hired  from  the  Moors,  regained  the  sea- 
shore, still  pursuing  the  route  for  Senegal,  and  they  had 
the  satisfaction  of  perceiving  a  ship  out  at  sea,  to  which 
they  made  signals.  "  The  vessel  having  approached 
sufficiently  near  the  coast,  the  Moors  who  were  with 
us  threw  themselves  into  the  sea,  and  swam  to  it.  In 
about  half  an  hour  we  saw  these  friendly  assistants 
returning,  making  float  before  them  three  small  barrels. 
Arrived  on  shore,  one  of  them  gave  a  letter  to  the  leader 
of  our  party  from  the  commander  of  the  ship,  which 
was  the  Argus,  a  vessel  sent  to  seek  after  the  raft,  and 
to  give  us  provisions.  This  letter  announced  a  small 
barrel  of  biscuit,  a  tierce  of  wine,  a  half  tierce  of  brandy, 
and  a  Dutch  cheese.  Oh,  fortunate  event !  We  were 
very  desirous  of  testifying  our  gratitude  to  the  generous 
commander  of  the  brig,  but  he  instantly  set  out  and  left 
us.     We  staved  the  barrels  which  held  our  small  stock 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  PICARD  FAMILY.       121 

of  provisions,  and  made  a  distribution.  Each  of  us  had 
a  biscuit,  about  a  glass  of  wine,  a  half  glass  of  brandy, 
and  a  small  morsel  of  cheese.  Each  drank  his  allow- 
ance of  wine  at  one  gulp;  the  brandy  was  not  even 
despised  by  the  ladies.  I  however  preferred  quantity 
to  quality,  and  exchanged  my  ration  of  brandy  for  one  of 
wine.  To  describe  our  joy,  whilst  taking  this  repast, 
is  impossible.  Exposed  to  the  fierce  rays  of  a  vertical 
sun,  exhausted  by  a  long  train  of  suffering,  deprived  for 
a  long  while  of  the  use  of  any  kind  of  spirituous  liquors, 
when  our  portions  of  water,  wine  and  brandy,  mingled 
in  our  stomachs,  we  became  like  insane  people.  Life, 
which  had  lately  been  a  great  burden,  now  became 
precious  to  us.  Foreheads,  lowering  and  sulky,  began 
to  unwrinkle ;  enemies  became  most  brotherly ;  the 
avaricious  endeavoured  to  forget  their  selfishness  and 
cupidity ;  the  children  smiled  for  the  first  time  since  our 
ship  wreck ;  in  a  word,  every  one  seemed  to  be  born 
again  from  a  condition  melancholy  and  dejected. 

"  About  six  in  the  evening,  my  father  finding  him- 
self extremely  fatigued,  wished  to  rest  himself.  We 
allowed  the  caravan  to  move  on,  whilst  my  stepmother 
and  myself  remained  near  him,  and  the  rest  of  the 
family  followed  with  their  asses.  We  all  three  soon 
fell  asleep.  When  we  awoke,  we  were  astonished  at 
not  seeing  our  companions.  The  sun  was  sinking  in 
the  west.  We  saw  several  Moors  approaching  us, 
mounted  on  camels;  and  my  father  reproached  himself 
for  having  slept  so  long.  Their  appearance  gave  us 
great  uneasiness,  and  we  wished  much  to  escape  from 
them,  but  my  stepmother  and  myself  fell  quite  exhausted. 
The  Moors  with  long  beards,  having  come  quite  close 
to  us,  one  of  them  alighted,  and  addressed  us  in  the 
following  words :  i  Be  comforted,  ladies  :  under  the 
•ostume  of  an  Arab,  you  see  an  Englishman  who  it 
9 


122  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    PICARD    FAMILY. 

desirous  of  serving  you.  Having-  heard  at  Senegal  that 
Frenchmen  were  thrown  ashore  on  these  deserts,  I 
thought  my  presence  might  be  of  some  service  to  them, 
as  I  was  acquainted  with  several  of  the  princes  of  this 
arid  country.'  These  noble  words  from  the  mouth  of 
a  man  we  had  at  first  taken  to  be  a  Moor,  instantly 
quieted  our  fears.  Recovering  from  our  fright,  we  rose 
and  expressed  to  the  philanthropic  Englishman  the 
gratitude  we  felt.  Mr.  Carnet,  the  name  of  the  generous 
Briton,  told  us  that  our  caravan,  which  he  had  met, 
waited  for  us  at  about  the  distance  of  two  leagues.  He 
then  gave  us  some  biscuit,  which  we  ate ;  and  we  then 
set  off  together  to  join  our  companions.  Mr.  Carnet 
wished  us  to  mount  his  camels,  but  my  stepmother  and 
myself,  being  unable  to  persuade  ourselves  we  could  sit 
•securely  on  their  hairy  haunches,  continued  to  walk  on 
the  moist  sand;  whilst  my  father,  Mr.  Carnet,  and  the 
Moors  who  accompanied  him,  proceeded  on  the  camels. 
We  soon  reached  a  little  river,  of  which  we  wished  to 
drink,  but  found  it  as  salt  as  the  sea.  Mr.  Carnet 
desired  us  to  have  patience,  and  we  should  find  some 
at  the  place  where  our  caravan  waited.  We  forded  that 
river  knee-deep.  At  last,  having  walked  about  an  hour, 
we  rejoined  our  companions,  who  had  found  several 
wells  of  fresh  water.  It  was  resolved  to  pass  the  night 
in  this  place,  which  seemed  less  arid  than  any  we  saw 
near  us.  The  soldiers  being  requested  to  go  and  seek 
wood  to  light  a  fire,  for  the  purpose  of  frightening  the 
ferocious  beasts  which  were  heard  roaring  around  us, 
refused  ;  but  Mr.  Carnet  assured  us  that  the  Moors  who 
were  with  him  knew  well  how  to  keep  all  such  intruders 
from  our  camp. 

"  We  passed  a  very  good  night,  and  at  four  in  the 
morning  continued  our  route  along  the  shore.  Mr.  Carnet 
left  us  to  endeavour  to  procure  some  provisions.     At 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  PICARD  FAMILY.       123 

noon,  the  heat  became  so  violent,  that  even  the  Moors 
themselves  bore  it  with  difficulty.  We  then  deter- 
mined on  finding  some  shade  behind  the  high  mounds 
of  sand  which  appeared  in  the  interior ;  but  how  were 
we  to  reach  them  1  The  sands  could  not  be  hotter.  We 
had  been  obliged  to  leave  our  asses  on  the  shore,  for 
they  would  neither  advance  nor  recede.  The  greater 
part  of  us  had  neither  shoes  nor  hats  ;  notwithstand- 
ing, we  were  obliged  to  go  forward  almost  a  long 
league  to  find  a  little  shade.  Whether  from  want  of 
air,  or  the  heat  of  the  ground  on  which  we  seated  our- 
selves, we  were  nearly  suffocated.  I  thought  my  last 
hour  was  come.  Already  my  eyes  saw  nothing  but  a 
dark  cloud,  when  a  person  of  the  name  of  Borner,  who 
was  to  have  been  a  smith  at  Senegal,  gave  me  a  boot 
containing  some  muddy  water,  which  he  had  had  the 
precaution  to  keep.  I  seized  the  elastic  vase,  and  has- 
tened to  swallow  the  liquid  in  large  draughts.  One  of 
my  companions,  equally  tormented  with  thirst,  envious 
of  the  pleasure  I  seemed  to  feel,  and  which  I  felt  effec- 
tually, drew  the  foot  from  the  boot,  and  seized  it  in  his 
turn,  but  it  availed  him  nothing.  The  water  which  re- 
mained was  so  disgusting,  that  he  could  not  drink  it, 
and  spilled  it  on  the  ground.  Captain  Begnere,  who 
was  present,  judging,  by  the  water  that  fell,  how  loath- 
some must  that  have  been  which  I  had  drunk,  offered 
me  some  crumbs  of  biscuit,  which  he  had  kept  most 
carefully  in  his  pocket.  I  chewed  that  mixture  of  bread, 
dust,  and  tobacco,  but  I  could  not  swallow  it,  and  gave 
it  all  masticated  to  one  of  my  younger  brothers,  who 
had  fallen  from  inanition. 

"  We  were  about  to  quit  this  furnace,  when  we  saw 
our  generous  Englishman  approaching,  who  brought  us 
provisions.  At  this  sight  I  felt  my  strength  revive, 
and  ceased  to  desire  death,  which  I  had  before  called 


124  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    PICARD    FAMILY. 

on  to  release  me  from  my  sufferings.  Several  Moors 
accompanied  Mr.  Garnet,  and  every  one  was  loaded. 
On  their  arrival  we  had  water,  with  rice  and  dried  fish 
in  abundance.  Every  one  drank  his  allowance  of  wa- 
ter, but  had  not  ability  to  eat,  although  the  rice  was 
excellent.  We  were  all  anxious  to  return  to  the  sea, 
that  we  might  bathe  ourselves,  and  the  caravan  put 
itself  on  the  road  to  the  breakers  of  Sahara.  After  an 
hour's  march  of  great  suffering,  we  regained  the  shore, 
as  well  as  our  asses,  who  were  lying  in  the  water.  We 
rushed  among  the  waves,  and  after  a  bath  of  half  an 
hour,  we  reposed  ourselves  upon  the  beach." 

There  was  still  another  day's  painful  travelling  be- 
fore reaching  the  banks  of  the  river  Senegal,  where 
boats  were  expected  to  be  ready  to  convey  the  party  to 
the  town  of  St.  Louis,  the  place  of  their  destination. 
"  During  the  day  we  hastened  our  march ;  and  for  the 
first  time  since  our  shipwreck,  a  smiling  picture  pre- 
sented itself  to  our  view.  The  trees  always  green, 
with  which  that  noble  river  is  shaded,  the  humming- 
birds, the  red-birds,  the  paroquets,  the  promerops,  and 
others,  who  flitted  among  their  long  yielding  branches, 
caused  in  us  emotions  difficult  to  express.  We  could 
not  satiate  our  eyes  gazing  on  the  beauties  of  this  place, 
verdure  being  so  enchanting  to  the  sight,  especially 
after  having  travelled  through  the  desert.  Before  reach- 
ing the  river,  we  had  to  descend  a  little  hill  covered 
with  thorny  bushes.  It  was  four  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon before  the  boats  of  the  government  arrived,  and 
we  all  embarked.  Biscuit  and  wine  were  found  in  each 
of  them,  and  all  were  refreshed.  After  sailing  for  an 
hour  down  the  stream,  we  came  in  sight  of  St.  Louis, 
a  town  miserable  in  appearance,  but  delightful  to  our 
vision  after  so  much  suffering.  At  six  in  the  evening 
we  arrived  at  the  fort,  where  the  late  English  governor 


NARRATIVE    OF    THE    PICARD    FAMILY.  125 

and  others,  including  our  generous  friend  Mr.  Garnet, 
were  met  to  receive  us.  My  father  presented  us  to  the 
governor,  who  had  alighted.  He  appeared  to  be  sen- 
sibly affected  with  our  misfortunes  :  the  females  and 
children  chiefly  excited  his  commiseration ;  and  the  na- 
tive inhabitants  and  Europeans  tenderly  shook  the  hands 
of  the  unfortunate  people ;  the  negro  slaves  even  seemed 
to  deplore  our  disastrous  fate. 

"  The  governor  placed  the  most  sickly  of  our  com- 
panions in  an  hospital ;  various  inhabitants  of  the 
colony  received  others  into  their  houses  ;  M.  Artigue 
obligingly  took  charge  of  oui  family.  Arriving  at  his 
house,  we  there  found  his  wife,  two  ladies,  and  an 
English  lady,  who  begged  to  be  allowed  to  assist  us. 
Taking  my  sister  Caroline  and  myself,  she  conducted 
us  to  her  house,  and  presented  us  to  her  husband,  who 
received  us  in  the  most  affable  manner ;  after  which  she 
led  us  to  her  dressing-room,  where  we  were  combed, 
cleaned,  and  dressed  by  the  domestic  negresses,  and 
were  most  obligingly  furnished  with  linen  from  her  own 
wardrobe,  the  whiteness  of  which  was  strongly  con- 
trasted with  our  sable  countenances.  In  the  midst  of 
my  misfortunes  my  soul  preserved  all  its  strength;  but 
this  sudden  change  of  situation  affected  me  so  much, 
that  I  thought  my  intellectual  faculties  were  forsaking 
me.  When  I  had  a  little  recovered  from  my  faintness, 
our  generous  hostess  conducted  us  to  the  saloon,  where 
we  found  her  husband  and  several  English  officers  sit- 
ting at  table.  These  gentlemen  invited  us  to  partake 
of  their  repast,  but  we  took  nothing  but  tea  and  some 
pastry.  Among  these  English  was  a  young  French- 
man, who,  speaking  sufficiently  well  their  language, 
served  to  interpret  between  us.  Inviting  us  to  r 
to  them  the  story  of  our  shipwreck  and  all  our  mis- 
fortunes, which  we  did  in  few  words,  they  were  asto- 


126 


NARRATIVE    OF    THE    PICARD    FAMILY. 


nished  how  females  and  children  had  been  able  to  en- 
dure so  much  fatigue  and  misery.  As  they  saw  we  had 
need  of  repose,  they  all  retired,  and  our  worthy  Eng- 
lishwoman put  us  to  bed,  where  we  were  not  long  be- 
fore we  fell  into  a  profound  sleep." 

Monsieur  Picard  and  his  family  were  now  settled  ; 
but  nothing  but  a  series  of  misfortunes  attended  him, 
the  first  of  which  was  the  death  of  his  wife  and  seve- 
ral of  the  children,  who  fell  victims  to  the  malignant 
distempers  of  the  country.  The  legal  business  which 
he  expected  to  form,  entirely  failed,  from  the  poverty  of 
the  people,  and  bad  state  of  affairs  of  the  colony.  Poor 
Picard,  broken  down  with  disasters  and  family  afflic- 
tions, after  a  manful  struggle  as  an  attorney,  a  trader,  and 
a  cultivator  of  cotton,  at  length  sank  under  the  com- 
plicated calamities  which  pressed  upon  him.  He  died, 
in  an  almost  destitute  condition,  of  a  broken  heart. 
"  This  last  blow  (says  the  narrator)  plunged  me  into  a 
gloomy  melancholy.  I  was  indifferent  to  every  thing. 
I  had  seen,  in  three  months,  nearly  all  my  relations 
die.  A  young  orphan  (Alphonso  Fleury),  our  cousin, 
aged  five  years,  to  whom  my  father  was  tutor,  and 
whom  he  had  always  considered  as  his  own  child,  my 
sister  Caroline,  and  myself,  were  all  that  remained  of 
the  Picard  Family,  who,  on  setting  out  for  Africa,  con- 
sisted of  nine.  We,  too,  had  nearly  followed  our  dear 
parents  to  the  grave.  Our  friends,  however,  by  their 
great  care  and  attention,  got  us  by  degrees  to  recover 
our  composure,  and  chased  from  our  thoughts  the  cruel 
recollection  which  afflicted  us.  We  recovered  our  tran- 
quillity, and  dai^ed  at  last  to  cherish  the  hope  of  seeing 
more  fortunate  days.  That  hope  was  not  delusive.  A 
worthy  friend  of  my  father,  Monsieur  Dard,  who  had 
promised  to  act  as  a  guardian  to  his  orphan  children, 
proved  himself  a  more  than  friendly  benefactor.     After 


THE     OCEAN.  127 

gathering  together  the  wrecks  of  our  wretched  family, 
he  tenderly  offered  himself  as  my  husband,  and  I  need 
not  say  that  he  was  worthy  of  my  sincerest  attachment. 
I  gave  my  hand  where  already  was  my  esteem.  My 
sister  Caroline  afterwards  married  a  gentleman  belong- 
ing to  the  colony. 

"  Leaving  Senegal  with  my  husband  and  the  young 
Alphonso,  in  November  1820,  in  a  month  thereafter  we 
landed  safely  on  the  shores  of  our  dear  France,  which 
we  resolved  should  henceforth  be  our  home.  The  place 
where  we  settled  was  that  of  my  husband's  nativity,  at 
a  short  distance  from  Dijon,  and  here  I  have  had  the 
happiness  of  finding  new  relations,  whose  tender  friend- 
ship consoles  me  in  part  for  the  loss  of  those  of  whom 
cruel  death  deprived  me  in  Africa." 


THE  OCEAN. 

Roll  on,  thou  deep  and  dark  blue  ocean — roll ! 
Ten  thousand  fleets  sweep  over  thee  in  vain ; 
Man  marks  the  earth  with  ruin — his  control 
Stops  with  the  shore ; — upon  the  watery  plain 
The  wrecks  are  all  thy  deed,  nor  doth  remain 
A  shadow  of  man's  ravage,  save  his  own, 
When,  for  a  moment,  like  a  drop  of  rain, 
He  sinks  into  thy  depths  with  bubbling  groan, 
Without  a  grave,  unknell'd,  uncoffin'd,  and  unknown. 

His  steps  are  not  upon  thy  paths, — thy  fields 
Are  not  a  spoil  for  him, — thou  dost  arise 
And  shake  him  from  thee ;  the  vile  strength  he  wields 
For  earth's  destruction  thou  dost  all  despise, 
Spurning  him  from  thy  bosom  to  the  skies, 


128  THE    OCEAN. 

And  send'st  him,  shivering  in  thy  playful  spray 
And  howling,  to  his  gods,  where  haply  lies 
His  petty  hope  in  some  near  port  or  bay, 
And  dashest  him  again  to  earth  : — there  let  him  lay. 

The  armaments  which  thunderstrike  the  walls 
Of  rock-built  cities,  bidding  nations  quake, 
And  monarchs  tremble  in  their  capitals, 
The  oak  leviathans,  whose  huge  ribs  make 
Their  clay  creator  the  vain  title  take 
Of  lord  of  thee,  and  arbiter  of  war ; 
These  are  thy  toys,  and,  as  the  snowy  flake, 
They  melt  into  thy  yeast  of  waves,  which  mar 
Alike  the  Armada's  pride,  or  spoils  of  Trafalgar. 

Thy  shores  are  empires,  changed  in  all  save  thee — 
Assyria,  Greece,  Rome,  Carthage,  what  are  they  1 
Thy  waters  wasted  them  while  they  were  free, 
And  many  a  tyrant  since  ;  their  shores  obey 
The  stranger,  slave,  or  savage ;  their  decay 
Has  dried  up  realms  to  deserts  : — not  so  thou, 
Unchangeable  save  to  thy  wild  waves'  play — 
Time  writes  no  wrinkle  on  thine  azure  brow — 
Such  as  creation's  dawn  beheld,  thou  rollest  now. 

Thou  glorious  mirror,  where  the  Almighty's  form 
Glasses  itself  in  tempests  ;  in  all  time, 
Calm  or  convulsed — in  breeze,  or  gale,  or  storm, 
Icing  the  pole,  or  in  the  torrid  clime 
Dark-heaving ;  boundless,  endless,  and  sublime — 
The  image  of  eternity — the  throne 
Of  the  invisible  ;  ever  from  out  thy  slime 
The  monsters  of  the  deep  are  made ;  each  zone 
Obeys  thee ;  thou  goest  forth,  dread,  fathomless,  alone. 

Byron. 


0 

129 


UNKNOWN   ISLES. 

Oh  !  many  are  the  beauteous  isles 

Unknown  to  human  eye, 
That,  sleeping  'mid  the  Ocean-smiles, 

In  happy  silence  lie. 
The  Ship  may  pass  them  in  the  night, 
Nor  the  sailors  know  what  a  lovely  sight 

Is  resting  on  the  Main  ; 
Some  wandering  ship  who  hath  lost  her  way, 
And  never,  or  by  night  or  day, 

Shall  pass  these  isles  again. 
There,  groves  that  bloom  in  endless  spring 
Are  rustling  to  the  radiant  wing 
Of  birds  in  various  plumage  bright 
As  rainbow-hues,  or  dawning  light. 
Soft-falling  showers  of  blossoms  fair 
Float  ever  on  the  fragrant  air, 

Like  showers  of  vernal  snow, 
And  from  the  fruit-tree,  spreading  tall, 
The  richly  ripen'd  clusters  fall, 

Oft  as  sea-breezes  blow. 
The  sun  and  clouds  alone  possess 
The  joy  of  all  that  loveliness; 
And  sweetly  to  each  other  smile 
The  livelong  day — sun,  cloud,  and  isle, 
How  silent  lies  each  shelter'd  bay  ! 
No  other  visiters  have  they 

To  their  shores  of  silvery  sand, 
Than  the  waves  that,  mumuring  in  their  glee, 

All  hurrying  in  a  joyful  band 
Come  dancing  from  the  sea. 

Wilson. 


130 


THE   CITY   OF   PETRA. 

A  short  description  of  the  principal  features  of  this  extraordinary 
remnant  of  the  early  world— the  principal  city  of  the  land  ofEdom 
— whose  antiquity  is  supposed  to  go  back  to  the  time  of  Esau,  may 
be  interesting  to  a  considerable  portion  of  our  young  readers.  It 
is  extracted  from  Stephens's  Incidents  of  Travel. 

This  ancient  and  extraordinary  city  is  situated  within 
a  natural  amphitheatre,  of  two  or  three  miles  in  circum- 
ference, encompassed  on  all  sides  by  rugged  mountains, 
500  or  600  feet  in  height.  The  whole  of  this  area  is 
now  a  waste  of  ruins,  dwelling-houses,  palaces,  temples, 
and  triumphal  arches,  all  prostrate  together  in  undis- 
tinguishable  confusion.  The  sides  of  the  mountains  are 
cut  smooth  in  a  perpendicular  direction,  and  filled  with 
long  and  continued  ranges  of  dwelling-houses,  temples, 
and  tombs,  excavated  with  vast  labour  out  of  the  solid 
rock;  and  while  their  summits  present  nature  in  her 
wildest  and  most  savage  form,  their  bases  are  adorned 
with  all  the  beauty  of  architecture  and  art,  with  columns, 
and  porticoes,  and  pediments,  and  ranges  of  corridors, 
enduring  as  the  mountains  out  of  which  they  are  hewn, 
and  fresh,  as  if  the  work  of  a  generation  scarcely  yet 
gone  by. 

Nothing  can  be  finer  than  the  immense  rocky  ram- 
part which  incloses  the  city.  Strong  firm  and  immove- 
able as  nature  itself,  it  seems  to  deride  the  walls  of 
cities  and  the  puny  fortifications  of  skilful  engineers. 
The  only  access  is  by  clambering  over  this  wall  of  stone, 
practicable  only  in  one  place,  or  by  an  entrance  the 
most  extraordinary  that  nature,  in  her  wildest  freaks, 
has  ever  framed.  The  loftiest  portals  ever  raised  by 
the  hands  of  man,  the  proudest  monuments  of  architec- 
tural skill   and  daring,  sink  into  insignificance  by  the 


THE    CITY    OF    PETRA.  131 

comparison.  It  is,  perhaps,  the  most  wonderful  object 
in  the  world,  except  the  ruins  of  the   city  to  which  it 

forms  the  entrance For  about  two  miles  this 

mountainous  passage  lies  between  high  and  precipitous 
ranges  of  rocks,  from  500  to  1000  feet  in  height,  stand- 
ing as  if  torn  asunder  by  some  great  convulsion,  and 
barely  wide  enough  for  two  horsemen  to  pass  abreast. 
A  swelling  stream  rushes  between  them  ;  the  summits 
are  wild  and  broken,  in  some  places  overhanging  the 
opposite  sides,  casting  the  darkness  of  night  upon  the 
narrow  defile ;  then  receding  and  forming  an  opening 
above,  through  which  a  strong  ray  of  light  is  thrown 
down,  and  illuminates  with  the  blaze  of  day  the  fright- 
ful chasm  below.  Wild  fig-trees,  oleanders,  and  ivy, 
were  growing  out  of  the  rocky  sides  of  the  cliffs,  hun- 
dreds of  feet  above  our  heads  ;  the  eagle  was  screaming 
above  us  ;  all  along  were  the  open  doors  of  tombs,  form- 
ing the  great  Necropolis  of  the  city  ;  and  at  the  extreme 
end  was  a  large  open  space,  with  a  powerful  body  of 
light  thrown  down  upon  it,  and  exhibiting  in  one  full 
view  the  facade  of  a  beautiful  temple,  hewn  out  of  the 
rock,  with  rows  of  Corinthian  columns  and  ornaments, 
standing  out  fair  and  clear,  as  if  but  yesterday  from  the 

hands  of  the  sculptor Neither  the  Coliseum 

at  Rome,  grand  and  interesting  as  it  is,  nor  the  ruins 
of  the  Acropolis  at  Athens,  nor  the  pyramids,  nor  the 
mighty  temples  of  the  Nile,  are  so  often  present  to  my 
memory.  The  whole  temple,  its  columns,  ornaments, 
porticoes,  and  poiches,  are  cut  out  from,  and  form  part 
of,  the  solid  rock  ;  and  this  rock,  at  the  foot  of  which  the 
temple  stands  like  a  mere  print,  towers  several  hundred 
feet  above,  its  face  cut  smooth  to  the  very  summit,  and 
the  top  remaining  wild  and  misshapen  as  nature  made  it. 
The  whole  area  before  the  temple  is  perhaps  an  acre  in 
extent,  inclosed  on  all  sides  except  at  the  narrow  en- 


132  THE    CITY   OF   PETRA 

trance,  and  an  opening  to  the  left  of  the  temple,  which 
leads  into  the  area  of  the  city,  by  a  pass  through  per- 
pendicular rocks,  500  or  600  feet  in  height. 

A  short  description  of  a  temple  and  the  theatre  will  give  an  idea 
of  the  various  edifices  of  which  this  wonderful  city  is  composed. 

Ascending  several  broad  steps,  we  entered  under  a 
colonnade  of  four  Corinthian  columns,  about  thirty-five 
feet  high,  into  a  large  chamber  of  some  fifty  feet  square, 
and  twenty-five  feet  high.  The  outside  of  the  temple  is 
richly  ornamented,  but  the  interior  is  perfectly  plain, 
there  being  no  ornament  of  any  kind  upon  the  walls  or 
ceiling ;  on  each  of  the  three  sides  is  a  small  chamber 
for  the  reception  of  the  dead. 

In  the  bosom  of  the  mountain,  hewn  out  of  the  solid 
rock,  is  a  large  theatre,  circular  in  form,  the  pillars  in 
front  fallen,  and  containing  thirty-three  rows  of  seats, 
capable  of  containing  more  than  3000  persons.  Above 
the  corridor  was  a  range  of  doors  opening  to  chambers 
in  the  rocks,  the  seats  of  the  princes  and  wealthiest  in- 
habitants of  Petra,  and  not  unlike  a  row  of  private 
boxes  in  a  modern  theatre.  The  whole  theatre  is  at 
this  day  in  such  a  state  of  preservation,  that  if  the  ten- 
ants of  the  tombs  around  could  once  more  rise  into  life, 
they  might  take  their  old  places  on  its  seats,  and  listen 
to  the  declamation  of  their  favourite  player. 


133 


INCIDENT  IN  THE  ESCAPE  OF  PRINCE  CHARLES. 

The  following  extract  from  Chambers's  "History  of  the  Rebellion  in 
1745,"  giving  a  full  account  of  this  singular  incident,  will  be  read 
with  interest— heightened  when  we  recollect  that  thirty  thousand 
pounds  had  been  offered  for  the  capture  of  Prince  Charles;  a  bribe 
which  these  seven  outlaws  had  the  virtue  to  resist. 

It  must  be  premised  that,  towards  the  close  of  July 
(1746),  after  more  than  three  months  of  incredible  hard- 
ship, Charles  found  himself  amongst  the  hills  between 
Glenmorriston  and  Strathglass  in  Inverness-shire.  He 
was  attended  by  two  or  three  faithful  adherents,  to 
whom  he  had  recently  confided  himself,  the  principal 
being  Macdonald  of  Glenaladale,  who  had  been  a  major 
in  his  army.  Late  in  the  evening  of  the  28th,  they 
reached  the  highest,  and  consequently  safest  point 
amongst  the  hills,  where,  though  drenched  with  rain, 
the  prince  could  get  no  better  lodging  than  a  small 
chink  in  a  rock,  which  gave  him  scarcely  room  to 
Btretch  himself,  and  where  he  had  no  fire,  no  food,  and 
not  the  slightest  comfort  of  any  kind  but  a  pipe  of 
tobacco.  At  this  time,  a  great  quantity  of  troops  were 
quartered  at  Fort  Augustus,  in  the  centre  of  the  county, 
and  large  parties  daily  scoured  the  glens,  to  lay  waste 
the  property  of  the  disaffected,  and  use  their  best  endea- 
vours to  capture  the  prince.  The  Duke  of  Cumberland 
had  given  them  the  significant  order,  with  a  view  to 
the  stability  of  his  father's  dynasty,  "  to  make  no  pri- 
soners." 

Charles  had  scarcely  at  any  former  period  been  in 
greater  danger  than  now,  and  at  no  former  time  were 
his  personal  sufferings  so  great.  It  chanced  that,  a  day 
or  two  before,  there  had  been  added  to  his  party  a  Glen- 
garry man,  wrho  had  fled  from  the  soldiery  for  his  life, 


134      INCIDENT  IN  THE  ESCAPE  OF  PRINCE  CHARLES. 

after  they  had  put  his  father  to  death.  This  particular 
act  of  cruelty,  by  sending  the  Glengarry  man  in  the 
way  of  the  prince,  had  an  effect  very  different  from  what 
the  soldiery  could  have  contemplated,  for  it  was  the 
means  of  his  being  introduced  to  the  seven  Glenmorris- 
ton  men,  who  protected  him  effectually  for  the  ensuing 
three  weeks.  At  three  in  the  morning  of  the  29th,  the 
Glengarry  man  went  with  Glenaladale's  brother  to  find 
out  these  men,  and  to  negotiate  for  their  receiving  the 
distressed  party  under  their  care,  but  without  the  name 
of  the  prince  being  mentioned.  It  was  also  Charles's 
wish  by  their  means  to  make  inquiry  respecting  a 
French  vessel  which  he  understood  had  come  to  Pollew, 
on  the  west  coast  of  Ross-shire,  in  order  to  carry  him  off. 
Some  hours  afterwards,  by  appointment,  the  party,  in- 
cluding the  prince,  met  the  two  messengers  on  the  top  of 
a  neighbouring  hill,  to  learn  what  success  had  attended 
the  mission.  The  men  had  been  found,  and  had  agreed 
to  take  charge  of  the  distressed  party,  the  chief  man  of 
whom  they  understood  to  be  Glenaladale.  The  party 
was  to  repair  to  a  cave  called  Coiraghoth,  in  the  braes 
of  Glenmorriston,  where  the  men  undertook  to  meet  them 
before  a  particular  hour.  Charles  accordingly  set  out 
for  this  place,  attended  by  Glenaladale,  the  brother  of 
that  gentleman,  a  son  of  Macdonald  of  Borodale,  the 
Glengarry  man,  and  two  boys. 

The  men  who  had  promised  to  entertain  the  party 
were  only  in  a  modified  sense  "  robbers."  They  had 
been  out  in  the  rebellion,  and  had  consequently  seen 
their  little  possessions  in  Glenmorriston  become  a  prey 
to  the  spoiler.  About  seventy  of  their  fellow-dalesmen 
who  had  been  induced  to  obey  an  order  of  the  Duke  of 
Cumberland,  for  surrendering  their  arms  at  Inverness, 
had  been  seized  and  thrust  on  ship-board,  to  be  deported 
to  the  colonies.    These  men,  determined  not  to  be  dealt 


INCIDENT  IN  THE  ESCAPE  OF   PRINCE  CHARLES.      135 

with  after  the  same  manner,  had  entered  into  an  asso- 
ciation of  offence  and  defence  against  the  duke  and  his 
army,  binding  themselves  by  solemn  oath  never  to  yield, 
to  fight  on  any  particular  emergency  to  the  last  drop  of 
their  blood,  and  never  till  the  day  of  their  death  to  give 
up  their  arms.  At  first  they  were  seven  in  number, 
namely,  Patrick  Grant,  a  farmer,  commonly  called  Black 
Peter  of  Craskie;  John  Macdonell,  alias  Campbell; 
Alexander  Macdonell;  Alexander,  Donald,  and  Hugh 
Chisholm,  brothers;  and  Gregor  Macgregor.  After- 
wards, in  the  course  of  their  inarches  with  the  prince, 
an  eighth,  Hugh  Macmillan,  joined  them,  and  took  their 
oath.  They  lived  at  this  time  a  wild  life  amongst  the 
mountains,  supplying  themselves  with  necessaries  chief- 
ly by  bold  attacks  upon  the  military  parties,  from  whom 
they  often  retrieved  cattle  and  other  spoil. 

It  was  into  the  hands  of  such  men  that  the  fugitive 
prince  was  now  to  pass.  At  the  appointed  time,  he  and 
his  friends  approached  the  cave  of  Coiraghoth,  where 
only  three  of  the  men  at  this  time  were,  namely,  the 
two  Macdonells,  and  Alexander  Chisholm.  Glenaladale 
went  forward  to  converse  with  them,  and  hinted  that  he 
had  young  Clanranald  in  his  company.  They  professed 
that  they  would  be  very  glad  to  see  young  Clanranald, 
and  take  all  possible  care  of  him.  They  were  then 
brought  out  to  meet  the  party  ;  but  they  had  no  sooner 
set  eyes  upon  the  person  who  was  to  pass  for  young 
Clanranald,  than  they  knew  him  to  be  the  prince.  He 
was  received  by  them  with  the  greatest  demonstrations 
of  fidelity  and  kindness,  and  conducted  to  their  cave, 
where,  at  Charles's  request,  they  took  an  oath,  adminis- 
tered by  Glenaladale,  in  the  dreadful  terms  then  custo- 
mary amongst  the  Highlanders.  This  oath  they  kept 
so  well,  that  not  one  of  them  spoke  of  the  prince  having 
been  in  their  company  till  a  twelvemonth  after  he  had 


136       INCIDENT  IN  THE  ESCAPE  OF  PRINCE  CHARLES. 

sailed  to  France.  Charles  proposed  that  he  and  Glen- 
aladale  should  take  a  like  oath  of  fidelity  to  the  men — 
namely,  that,  if  danger  should  come,  they  should  stand 
by  one  another  to  the  last  drop  of  their  blood ;  but  the 
men  refused  to  take  this  pledge  from  the  prince  and 
Glenaladale. 

Charles  now  broke  a  fast  of  about  forty-eight  hours, 
by  a  refreshment  of  mutton,  butter,  and  cheese,  with 
some  whiskey.  Next  day,  the  other  four,  who  had  been 
absent  in  search  of  provisions,  returned  with  a  dead 
deer  and  a  live  ox.  These  men  also  knew  the  prince 
at  first  sight,  and  took  the  same  oath  as  the  rest.  They 
killed  the  ox  in  his  presence.  They  still  wanted  bread, 
and  only  had  a  little  salt ;  but  fresh  water  was  supplied 
to  them  in  abundance  by  a  spring  which  glided  through 
the  cave. 

When  the  four  men  had  taken  the  oath,  Charles  told 
the  whole  seven  that  they  were  the  first  privy  council 
he  had  had  sworn  to  him  since  the  battle  of  Culloden, 
and  that  he  should  never  forget  them  or  theirs,  "  if  ever 
he  came  to  his  own."  Hereupon  one  of  them  hinted  to 
him,  that  a  priest  who  used  to  come  amongst  them  in 
Glenmorriston,  frequently  had  told  them  that  King 
Charles  II.,  after  his  restoration,  was  not  very  mindful 
of  his  friends.  Their  guest  said  he  was  heartily  sorry 
for  that,  and  hoped  he  should  act  differently — for  this 
he  gave  them  his  word,  the  word  of  a  prince. 

Three  days  of  repose  and  good  nourishment  in  Coir- 
aghoth  recruited  the  prince  considerably,  and,  being 
afraid  to  stay  too  long  in  any  one  place,  he  and  his 
attendants  shifted  their  quarters  (August  2)  to  another 
and  equally  romantic  cave  about  two  miles  off,  named 
Coirskreaoch.  Here,  after  taking  some  food,  and 
planting  sentries  at  proper  points  of  outlook,  they  mad© 
up  a  bed  of  heath  for  the  prince  in  a  small  recess  resem- 


INCIDENT  IN  THE  ESCAPE  OF  PRINCE  CHARLES.       137 

bling  a  closet  opening  from  the  cave.  He  remained  in 
this  cave  four  days ;  when,  hearing  that  one  Camp- 
bell, a  captain  of  militia,  and  factor  to  the  Earl  of 
Seaforth  [a  nobleman  who  had  taken  the  government 
side],  was  encamped  within  four  miles  of  him,  he 
thought  proper  to  remove.  On  the  evening  of  the  6th, 
he  and  his  attendants  set  out  in  a  northerly  direction, 
and  by  break  of  day  on  the  7th  they  had  passed  the 
height  of  the  country,  and  come  in  upon  Strathglass.  In 
the  evening,  two  of  the  men  who  had  been  left  as  scouts, 
brought  intelligence  that  they  need  be  in  no  apprehen- 
sion from  the  factor  Campbell  for  that  night;  and  they 
then  repaired  to  a  neighbouring  sheiling,  or  hut,  where, 
after  kindling  a  fire,  and  taking  some  refreshment,  they 
prepared  a  bed  for  the  prince,  composed  of  sods,  with 
the  grass  uppermost,  on  which  he  slept  soundly  the 
whole  night. 

He  remained  in  this  place  two  days.  During  that 
time,  he  dispatched  a  messenger  to  Pollew,  to  make 
inquiry  respecting  some  French  vessels  which  were 
said  to  have  arrived  there  in  order  to  carry  him  away 
from  Scotland.  That  he  might  be  ready  to  take  advan- 
tage of  these  vessels,  if  it  should  be  found  that  they  had 
not  sailed,  he  resolved  to  draw  somewhat  nearer  to  the 
west  coast.  His  messenger,  before  setting  out,  had 
been  appointed  to  bring  him  intelligence  to  a  particular 
place,  judged  convenient  for  the  purpose.  Early  in  the 
morning  of  the  9th,  he  and  his  friends  and  attendants, 
about  a  dozen  persons  in  all,  set  out  to  the  northward  by 
an  unfrequented  moor-road,  and  came  that  night  to  a 
sheiling,  where  they  halted  for  a  few  hours.  At  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  10th,  they  once  more 
addressed  themselves  to  their  journey,  and  at  noon  came 
to  Glencannich,  where  they  passed  the  remainder  of  the 
day  in  a  wood,  and  at  night  repaired  to  a  neighbouring 
10 


138      INCIDENT  IN  THE  ESCAPE  OF  PRINCE  CHARLES. 

hamlet.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  they  left  this 
village,  and  climbed  a  hill  called  Peinachyrine,  on  the 
north  side  of  Glencannich,  where  they  passed  the  day, 
and  sent  off  two  of  their  party  to  obtain  a  fresh  supply 
of  provisions.  This  place,  which  is  about  forty  High- 
land miles  from  Pollew,  is  the  most  northerly  point 
which  the  prince  reached  on  the  mainland.  At  night 
they  repaired  to  a  sheiling,  in  which  they  remained 
two  days,  waiting  for  the  return  of  the  messenger.  At 
the  end  of  that  time,  the  man  rejoined  them,  with 
intelligence  that  the  only  vessel  which  had  ever  touched 
at  Pollew  had  sailed  again,  leaving  a  couple  of  men, 
who  had  set  out  for  Locheil's  country  in  quest  of  the 
prince.  Anxious  to  know  if  these  men  had  any  dis- 
patches for  him,  he  resolved  to  return  towards  Locheil's 
country,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  meet  them. 

They  set  out  at  night,  and  recrossing  the  water  of 
Cannich,  arrived  about  two  in  the  morning  at  a  place 
called  Fassanacoil  in  Strathglass.  Here  it  was  thought 
proper  to  tarry,  until  scouts  should  bring  back  intelli- 
gence of  the  state  of  the  country  to  the  south,  and  if 
the  search  for  him  was  over  in  that  quarter,  and  the 
troops  returned  to  Fort  Augustus.  While  the  scouts 
were  absent,  the  party  remained  in  a  dense  wood,  com- 
pletely concealed  from  the  neighbouring  people.  They 
were  supplied  with  provisions  by  one  John  Chisholm, 
a  farmer  who  had  been  in  the  insurgent  army,  but  to 
whom  they  did  not  at  first  confide  the  secret  of  the 
prince  being  of  the  party.  Charles  having  at  length 
expressed  a  wish  to  see  Chisholm,  Patrick  Grant  and 
another  were  dispatched  to  bring  him.  They  desired 
him  to  come  along  with  them,  to  see  "  a  friend  whom 
they  knew  he  would  like  well  to  see."  Apprehending 
from  this  that  they  had  a  person  of  some  consequence 
with  them,  he  said  he  had  a  bottle  of  wine  which  a 


INCIDENT  IN  THE   ESCAPE  OF  PRINCE  CHARLES.       139 

priest  had  left  with  him,  and  he  should  be  glad  to  take 
it  along  with  him.  "  What !  John,"  said  Grant,  "  have 
you  had  a  bottle  of  wine  all  this  time,  and  not  given  it  to 
us  before  ?"  On  coming  into  the  presence  of  the  prince, 
John  knew  him  at  first  sight.  Patrick  Grant,  according 
to  his  own  simple  recital,  put  the  bottle  of  wine  into 
the  prince's  hands,  and  requested  him  to  drink  to  him, 
"  for,"  said  he,  "  I  do  not  remember  that  your  Royal 
Highness  has  drunk  to  me  since  you  came  among  our 
hands."  "  Accordingly,  the  prince  put  the  bottle  of 
wine  to  his  mouth,  and  drank  a  health  to  Patrick  Grant 
and  all  his  friends.  John  Chisholm  having  received  a 
good  payment  for  any  provisions  he  had  furnished,  and 
finding  that  they  had  been  purchased  for  the  use  of  his 
prince,  immediately  offered  to  return  the  whole  price, 
and  pressed  the  thing  much ;  but  the  prince  would  not 
hear  of  it  at  all,  and  ordered  him  to  keep  the  money." 
Chisholm  took  the  same  oath  as  the  Glenmorriston  men. 
In  due  time,  the  spies  returned  with  intelligence  that 
the  troops  had  returned  to  their  camp  at  Fort  Augustus, 
and  that  there  was  consequently  a  prospect  of  the  prince 
being  able  to  execute  his  design  of  crossing  the  (*reat 
Glen,  and  joining  Locheil,  in  Badenoch.  They  there- 
fore set  out  at  six  in  the  morning  of  the  17th,  and, 
travelling  by  an  unfrequented  road,  at  ten  in  the  fore- 
noon reached  the  braes  of  Glenmorriston.  Having 
passed  the  day  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  they  set  out  at 
night,  but  had  not  travelled  above  a  mile,  when  they 
learned  that  a  strong  military  party  had  been  sent  to 
the  braes  of  Glengarry,  in  quest  of  the  prince.  Upon 
this  it  was  resolved  to  proceed  no  farther,  until  the 
motions  of  the  enemy  should  be  farther  known ;  and 
they  repaired  to  a  neighbouring  sheiling,  where  they 
passed  the  remainder  of  the  night.  In  the  morning  of 
the  18th,  three  men  were  sent  off  towards  Loch  Arkaig, 


140      INCIDENT  IN  THE  ESCAPE  OF  PRINCE  CHARLES. 

in  Locheil's  country,  two  of  whom  were  to  seek  out, 
and,  if  possible,  form  an  appointment  for  the  prince  with 
Cameron  of  Clunes,  while  the  other  was  to  turn  at 
Glengarry,  and  bring  back  intelligence  of  the  movements 
of  the  party  said  to  be  in  that  district,  so  that  Charles 
might  perhaps  be  able  to  proceed  even  while  the  meet- 
ing with  Clunes  was  in  the  way  of  being  arranged. 

We  have  here  a  remarkable  anecdote  of  the  prince ; 
which  may  be  best  related  in  the  language  in  which  Mr. 
Forbes  has  reported  it  from  the  mouth  of  Patrick  Grant. 
When  returned  to  Glenmorriston  Braes,  "  The  prince 
was  pretty  positive  to  proceed  forwards  sooner  than  the 
Glenmorriston  men  thought  it  safe  for  him,  and  they 
would  by  no  means  allow  him  to  go,  till  they  should 
think  it  safe  for  him  so  to  do.  In  a  word,  the  kind  con- 
tention ran  so  high,  that  they  threatened  to  turn  their 
backs  upon  him,  and  to  leave  him,  if  he  did  not  listen 
to  their  counsel,  as  they  knew  the  country  best,  and 
what  dangers  might  happen  to  him  in  it;  and  imme- 
diately insisted  upon  his  taking  some  little  refresh- 
ment and  rest,  and  staying  there  as  long  as  they 
judged  it  safe  for  him.  But  the  prince  refused  to  eat 
or  to  drink,  because  they  would  not  do  as  he  desired. 
Upon  this,  they  plainly  told  him,  that  if  he  did  not  eat 
and  drink  heartily,  he  could  not  well  hold  out  with  the 
fatigues  he  was  obliged  to  undergo  in  his  present  situa- 
tion ;  that  if  he  should  happen  to  turn  faintish  by  ab- 
staining from  meat  and  drink  too  long,  and  then  danger 
should  come  nigh  them,  he  would  not  be  in  a  condition 
either  to  get  away  from  it,  or  to  act  his  part  in  any 
shape  so  well  as  he  would  wish  to  do;  and  therefore 
they  urged  him  more  than  ever  (as  being  absolutely 
necessary  for  him)  to  take  some  refreshment  and  rest, 
which  accordingly  he  did.  The  prince  said,  «  I  find 
kings  and  princes  must  be  ruled  by  their  privy  council, 


INCIDENT  IN  THE  ESCAI>E  OF  PRINCE  CHARLES.       141 

but  I  believe  there  is  not  in  all  the  world  a  more  abso- 
lute privy  council  than  what  I  have  at  present,'  &c 
They  added,  they  had  rather  tie  him  than  comply  with 
him,  so  well  did  they  know  his  clanger.  The  prince 
was  at  last  obliged  to  yield  the  point,  as  he  found  them 
positive  to  the  last  degree,  and  as  they  assured  him,  if 
he  complied  with  their  requests  in  behalf  of  his  safety, 
the  enemy  should  not  get  within  two  miles  of  him 
without  being  discovered.  This  was  the  only  time 
(said  Patrick  Grant),  that  we  ever  differed  with  the 
prince  in  any  one  thing,  and  we  were  very  sorry  for 
it." 

While  the  party  rested  at  this  place,  Patrick  Grant 
and  Alexander  Chisholm  went  out  to  forage  for  provi- 
sions, and  in  the  course  of  their  walk,  met  the  Laird  of 
Glenmorriston  (Grant),  who  had  been  in  the  prince's 
army,  and  had  had  his  house  burnt  and  his  lands  pil- 
laged in  consequence.  Glenmorriston  asked  them  where 
they  now  lived,  as  they  were  seldom  seen — what  tbey 
were  doing — and  how  did  they  obtain  the  means  of 
subsistence.  "  What  is  become,"  said  he,  "  of  the 
prince  1  I  have  heard  that  he  has  passed  the  braes  of 
Knoydart."  Even  to  this  gentleman,  whom  habit  had 
trained  them  to  regard  with  the  greatest  respect,  they 
would  not  disclose  any  of  their  secrets,  merely  remark- 
ing that,  as  the  enemy  were  plundering  the  country,  it 
were  a  pity  not  to  share  in  the  spoil ;  and  that  they  ac- 
cordingly did  so,  and  made  a  shift  to  live  upon  it.  On 
their  return  to  the  prince,  they  informed  him  of  this  in- 
terview, and  said  that,  if  his  royal  highness  pleased, 
they  would  bring  Glenmorriston  to  see  him,  he  being 
a  faithful  and  trusty  friend.  The  prince  said,  "  he  was 
so  well  pleased  with  his  present  guard,  that  he  wanted 
none  other;    and  that  he  had  experienced  poor  folks 


142     INCIDENT  IN  THE  ESCAPE  OF   PRINCE   CHARLES. 

to  be  as  faithful  and  firm,  as  any  men,  rich  or  high, 
could  be." 

On  the  19th,  the  man  who  was  to  bring  intelligence 
from  Glengarry  came  back,  reporting  that  that  district 
was  clear  of  troops.  The  prince,  therefore,  with  his 
party,  now  ten  in  number,  set  out  in  the  afternoon, 
under  the  benefit  of  a  fog,  and  passing  through  Glen- 
morriston  and  the  minor  vale  of  Glenluing,  arrived  late 
at  night  on  the  braes  of  Glengarry.  When  they  came 
to  the  Garry  water,  it  was  found  breast-deep  with  the 
rain;  nevertheless,  they  crossed  it  in  safety,  and  as- 
cending the  hill  for  about  a  mile,  tarried  there  for  the 
remainder  of  the  night,  in  the  open  air,  notwithstanding 
that  it  rained  heavily.  Early  in  the  morning,  the  heavy 
rain  still  continuing,  they  advanced  six  highland  miles 
across  hills  and  moors,  and  about  ten  in  the  forenoon 
came  to  the  hill  above  Auchnasaul,  where  the  two  mes- 
sengers had  been  appointed  to  meet  them  on  their  re- 
turn from  Cameron  of  Clunes.  They  passed  the  day  in 
a  most  inconvenient  habitation,  it  raining  as  heavy 
within  as  without.  Towards  the  afternoon,  after  they 
had  begun  to  despair  of  the  return  of  their  messengers, 
and  were  deliberating  what  should  be  done,  the  two 
men  came  in,  bringing  a  message  from  Clunes  to  Glen- 
aladale,  to  the  effect  that  he  could  not  wait  upon  him 
immediately,  but  had  directed  that  the  party  should 
lodge  for  that  night  in  a  certain  wood  two  miles  off, 
where  he  would  meet  them  in  the  morning. 

Two  of  the  men,  Patrick  Grant  and  Alexander  Mac- 
donell,  were  now  dispatched  to  reconnoitre  their  pro- 
posed lodging-place,  and  finding  it  suitable,  they  quick- 
ly returned  to  bring  forward  the  party.  Their  provisions 
were  now  reduced  to  half  a  peck  of  meal,  and  they  had 
starvation  staring  them  in  the  face.  By  the  greatest 
good  fortune,   Patrick  shot  a  large  hart,  at  the  place 


LOCH    KATRINE.  143 

where  they  were  to  pass  the  night ;  so  that  when  the 
prince  and  the  rest  arrived,  they  had  one  of  the  finest 
meals  they  had  as  yet  enjoyed. 

Charles  now  fell  under  the  care  of  other  friends,  and 
some  days  after  dismissed  all  the  Glenmorriston  men 
except  one,  Patrick  Grant,  whom  he  kept  for  some  time 
longer,  and  carried  along  with  him,  but  only  till  he  had 
got  his  purse  replenished,  so  as  to  be  able  to  send  his 
preservers  a  pecuniary  acknowledgment  of  their  ser- 


LOCH  KATRINE. 

One  burnished  sheet  of  living  gold 
Loch  Katrine  lay  beneath  him  roll'd 
In  all  her  length  far  winding  lay, 
With  promontory,  creek,  and  bay, 
And  islands  that,  empurpled  bright, 
Floated  amid  the  livelier  light, 
And  mountains,  that  like  giants  stand 
To  sentinel  enchanted  land. 


144 


STORIES  OF  THE  PRAIRIE  WOLVES. 

The  following  particulars  respecting  that  terror  of  travellers,  the 
wolf,  are  extracted  from  Judge  Hall's  "  Notes  on  Western  States." 
The  wolf  resembles  the  dog  in  shape,  but  is  generally  larger  and 
more  muscular,  as  well  as  more  savage  in  its  appearance.  Its 
leading  peculiarity  is  ferocity  of  disposition,  accompanied  with  a 
certain  degree  of  meanness  and  cowardliness,  which  is  foreign  to 
the  dog  in  all  its  varieties.  Wolves  were  at  one  time  plentiful  in 
Britain  and  Ireland,  but  it  is  long  since  they  were  extirpated. 
They  still  abound  in  the  northern  parts  of  Europe,  particularly  in 
Russia,  and  are  numerous  in  some  parts  of  France,  where  they 
commit  dreadful  devastations.  They  are  likewise  common  in 
North  America. 

Wolves  are  very  numerous  in  every  part  of  the 
western  country.  There  are  two  kinds — the  common  or 
black  wolf,  and  the  prairie  wolf.  The  former  is  a  large 
fierce  animal,  and  very  destructive  to  sheep,  pigs,  calves, 
poultry,  and  even  young  colts.  They  hunt  in  large 
packs;  and,  after  using  every  stratagem  to  circumvent 
their  prey,  attack  it  with  remarkable  ferocity.  Like 
the  Indian,  they  always  endeavour  to  surprise  their  vic- 
tim, and  strike  the  mortal  blow  without  exposing  them- 
selves to  danger.  They  seldom  attack  man,  except 
when  asleep  or  wounded.  The  largest  animals,  when 
wounded,  entangled,  or  otherwise  disabled,  become  their 
prey;  but  in  general  they  only  attack  such  as  are  in- 
capable of  resistance.  They  have  been  known  to  lie  in 
wait  upon  the  bank  of  a  stream  which  the  buffaloes 
were  in  the  habit  of  crossing,  and  when  one  of  those 
unwieldy  animals  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  sink  in  the 
mire,  spring  suddenly  upon  it,  and  worry  it  to  death, 
while  thus  disabled  from  resistance.    Their  most  com- 


STORIES  OF  THE   PRAIRIE  WOLVES.  145 

mon  prey  is  the  deer,  which  they  hunt  regularly;  but 
all  defenceless  animals  are  alike  acceptable  to  their 
ravenous  appetites.  When  tempted  by  hunger,  they 
approach  the  farm-houses  in  the  night,  and  snatch  their 
prey  from  under  the  very  eye  of  the  farmer ;  and  when 
the  latter  is  absent  with  his  dogs,  the  wolf  is  sometimes 
seen  by  the  females  lurking  about  in  mid-day,  as  if  aware 
of  the  unprotected  state  of  the  family. 

Of  the  few  instances  of  their  attacking  human  beings 
of  which  we  have  heard,  the  following  may  serve  to 
give  some  idea  of  their  habits.  In  very  early  times,  a 
negro  man  was  passing,  in  the  night,  in  the  lower  part 
of  Kentucky,  from  one  settlement  to  another.  The  dis- 
tance was  several  miles,  and  the  country  over  which  he 
travelled  entirely  unsettled.  In  the  morning  his  carcass 
was  found  entirely  stripped  of  flesh.  Near  it  lay  his 
axe,  covered  with  blood,  and  all  around  the  bushes  were 
beaten  down,  the  ground  trodden,  and  the  number  of 
foot-marks  so  great,  as  to  show  that  the  unfortunate  vic- 
tim had  fought  long  and  manfully.  On  pursuing  his 
track,  it  appeared  that  the  wolves  had  pursued  him  for 
a  considerable  distance, — he  had  often  turned  upon  them 
and  driven  them  back.  Several  times  they  had  attacked 
him,  and  been  repelled,  as  appeared  by  the  blood  and 
tracks.  He  had  killed  some  of  them  before  the  final 
onset,  and  in  the  last  conflict  had  destroyed  several. 
His  axe  was  his  only  weapon. 

On  another  occasion,  many  years  ago,  a  negro  man 
was  going  through  the  woods,  with  no  companion  but 
his  fiddle,  when  he  discovered  that  a  pack  of  wolves 
were  on  his  track.  They  pursued  very  cautiously,  but 
a  few  of  them  would  sometimes  dash  up,  and  growl,  as 
if  impatient  for  their  prey,  and  then  fall  back  again. 
As  he  had  several  miles  to  go,  he  became  much  alarmed. 
He  sometimes  stopped,  shouted,  drove  back  his  pursuers, 


146  STORIES  OF  THE  PRAIRIE  WOLVES. 

and  then  proceeded.  The  animals  became  more  and  more 
audacious,  and  would  probably  have  attacked  him,  had 
he  not  arrived  at  a  deserted  cabin  which  stood  by  the 
way-side.  Into  this  he  rushed  for  shelter,  and  without 
waiting  to  shut  the  door,  climbed  up,  and  seated  him- 
self on  the  rafters.  The  wolves  dashed  in  after  him, 
and  becoming  quite  furious,  howled  and  leaped,  and 
endeavoured,  with  every  expression  of  rage,  to  get  to 
him.  The  moon  was  now  shining  brightly,  and  Cuff 
being  able  to  see  his  enemies,  and  satisfied  of  his  own 
safety,  began  to  act  on  the  offensive.  Finding  the  cabin 
fall  of  them,  he  crawled  down  to  the  top  of  the  door, 
which  he  shut  and  fastened ;  then  removing  some  of  the 
loose  boards  from  the  roof,  scattered  them  with  a  tre- 
mendous clatter  upon  such  of  his  foes  as  remained  out- 
side, who  soon  scampered  off,  while  those  in  the  house 
began  to  crouch  with  fear.  He  had  now  a  large  num- 
ber of  prisoners  to  stand  guard  over  until  morning;  and 
drawing  forth  his  fiddle,  he  very  good-naturedly  played 
for  them  all  night,  very  much,  as  he  supposed,  to  their 
edification  and  amusement;  for,  like  all  genuine  lovers 
of  music,  he  imagined  that  it  had  power  to  soften  the 
heart  even  of  a  wolf.  On  the  ensuing  day,  some  of  the 
neighbours  assembled  and  destroyed  the  captives,  with 
great  rejoicings. 

Many  years  ago,  a  Frenchman,  with  his  son,  was 
hunting  in  a  part  of  Missouri,  distant  about  forty  miles 
from  St.  Louis.  Having  wounded  a  large  bear,  the 
animal  took  refuge  in  a  cave,  the  aperture  leading  into 
which  was  so  small  as  barely  to  admit  its  passage.  The 
hunter,  leaving  his  son  without,  instantly  prepared  to 
follow,  and  with  some  difficulty  drew  his  body  through 
the  narrow  entrance.  Having  reached  the  interior  of 
the  cave,  he  discharged  his  piece  with  so  true  an  aim, 
as  to  inflict  a  mortal  wound  upon  the  bear.    The  latter 


STORIES    OF    THE    PRAIRIE    WOLVES.  147 

rushed  forward,  and  passing  the  man,  attempted  to 
escape  from  the  cave  ;  but  on  reaching  the  narrowest 
part  of  the  passage,  through  which  it  had  entered  with 
some  difficulty,  the  strength  of  the  animal  failed,  and  it 
expired.  The  entrance  to  the  cave  was  now  completely 
closed  with  the  carcass  of  the  animal.  The  boy  on  the 
outside  heard  his  father  scream  for  assistance,  and  at- 
tempted to  drag  out  the  bear,  but  found  his  strength 
insufficient.  After  many  unavailing  efforts,  he  became 
much  terrified,  and  mounted  his  father's  horse  with  the 
determination  of  seeking  assistance.  There  was  no  road 
through  the  wilderness,  but  the  sagacious  horse,  taking 
the  direction  to  St.  Louis,  carried  the  alarmed  youth  to 
that  place,  where  a  party  was  soon  raised  and  dispatched 
to  the  relief  of  the  hunter.  But  they  searched  in  vain 
for  the  place  of  his  captivity.  From  some  cause  not 
now  recollected,  the  trace  of  the  horse  was  obliterated, 
and  the  boy,  in  his  agitation,  had  so  far  forgotten  the 
land-marks  as  to  be  totally  unable  to  lead  them  to  the 
spot.  They  returned  after  a  weary  and  unsuccessful 
search ;  the  hunter  was  heard  of  no  more,  and  no  doubt 
remained  of  his  having  perished  miserably  in  the  cave. 
Some  years  afterwards,  the  aperture  of  the  cavern  was 
discovered  in  a  spot  so  hidden  and  so  difficult  of  access 
as  to  have  escaped  the  notice  of  those  who  had  passed 
near  it.  Near  the  mouth  was  found  the  skeleton  of  the 
bear,  and  within  the  cave  that  of  the  Frenchman,  with 
his  gun  and  equipments,  all  apparently  in  the  same 
condition  as  when  he  died.  That  he  should  have  per- 
ished of  hunger,  from  mere  inability  to  effect  his  escape 
by  removing  the  body  of  the  bear,  seems  improbable, 
because,  supposing  him  to  have  been  unable  by  main 
strength  to  effect  this  object,  it  would  have  cost  him 
but  little  labour  to  have  cut  up  and  removed  the  animal 
by  piecemeal.      It  is  most  likely  either  that  he  was 


148  STORIES    OF    THE    PRAIRIE    WOLVES. 

suffocated,  or  that  he  had  received  some  injury  which 
disabled  him  from  exertion.  The  cave  bears  a  name 
which  commemorates  the  event. 

The  other  circumstance  to  which  we  allude  occurred 
in  Monroe  county,  in  Illinois.  There  are  in  many  parts 
of  this  country  singular  depressions  or  basins,  which 
the  inhabitants  call  sink-holes.  They  are  sometimes 
very  deep,  circular  at  the  top,  with  steep  sides  meeting 
in  a  point  at  the  bottom,  precisely  in  the  shape  of  a 
funnel.  At  the  bottom  of  one  of  these,  a  party  of  hunt- 
ers discovered  the  den  of  a  she-wolf,  and  ascertained 
that  it  contained  a  litter  of  whelps.  For  the  purpose  of 
destroying  the  latter,  they  assembled  at  the  place.  On 
examining  the  entrance  to  the  den,  it  was  found  to  be 
perpendicular,  and  so  narrow  as  to  render  it  impossible 
or  very  difficult  for  a  man  to  enter  ;  and,  as  a  notion 
prevails  among  the  hunters  that  the  female  wolf  only 
visits  her  young  at  night,  it  was  proposed  to  send  in 
a  boy  to  destroy  the  whelps.  A  fine  courageous  boy, 
armed  with  a  knife,  was  accordingly  thrust  into  the 
cavern,  where,  to  his  surprise,  he  found  himself  in  the 
company  of  the  she-wolf,  whose  glistening  eyeballs, 
white  teeth,  and  surly  voice,  sufficiently  announced  her 
presence.  The  boy  retreated  towards  the  entrance,  and 
called  to  his  friends,  to  inform  them  that  the  old  wolf 
was  there.  The  men  told  him  that  he  was  mistaken, 
that  the  old  wolf  never  staid  with  her  young  in  daylight, 
and  advised  him  to  go  boldly  up  to  the  bed  and  destroy 
the  litter.  The  boy,  thinking  that  the  darkness  of  the 
cave  might  have  deceived  him,  returned,  advanced  bold- 
ly, and  laid  his  hand  upon  the  she-wolf,  who  sprang 
upon  him,  and  bit  him  very  severely,  before  he  coulcl 
effect  his  retreat,  and  would  probably  have  killed  him 
had  he  not  defended  himself  with  resolution.  One  or 
two  of  the  men  now  succeeded  in  effecting  an  entrance; 
the  wolf  was  shot,  and  her  offspring  destroyed. 


149 

THE  PAMPAS   OF   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

Captain  (now  Sir  Francis)  Head  took  charge  of  an  association,  the 
object  of  which  was  to  work  the  gold  and  silver  mines  of  La  Plata, 
in  South  America.  He  made  several  rapid  journeys  across  the 
Pampas  or  Great  Plains  for  the  purpose  of  examining  various 
mines,  that  he  might  report  a  circumstantial  account  of  each  to 
the  parties  concerned  in  the  speculation.  In  the  course  of  his 
journeys  he  made  a  few  rough  notes,  as  he  calls  them,  and  these 
will  be  found  full  of  lively  pictures  of  scenery,  customs,  and  man- 
ners. 

The  great  plain,  or  Pampas,  on  the  east  of  the  Cor- 
dillera, is  about  nine  hundred  miles  in  breadth,  and  the 
part  which  I  have  visited,  though  under  the  same  lati- 
tude, is  divided  into  regions  of  different  climate  and 
produce.  On  leaving  Buenos  Ayres,  the  first  of  these 
regions  is  covered  for  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles 
with  clover  and  thistles ;  the  second  region,  which  ex- 
tends for  four  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  produces  long 
grass  ;  and  the  third  region,  which  reaches  the  base  of 
the  Cordillera,  is  a  grove  of  low  trees  and  shrubs.  The 
second  and  third  of  these  regions  have  nearly  the  same 
appearance  throughout  the  year,  for  the  trees  and  shrubs 
are  evergreens,  and  the  immense  plain  of  grass  only 
changes  its  colour  from  green  to  brown  ;  but  the  first 
region  varies  with  the  four  seasons  of  the  year  in  a 
most  extraordinary  manner.  In  winter,  the  leaves  of 
the  thistles  are  large  and  luxuriant,  and  the  whole  sur- 
face of  the  country  has  the  rough  appearance  of  a  tur- 
nip-field. The  clover  in  this  season  is  extremely  rich 
and  strong ;  and  the  sight  of  the  wild  cattle  grazing  in 
full  liberty  on  such  pasture  is  very  beautiful.  In  spring, 
the  clover  has  vanished,  the  leaves  of  the  thistles  have 
extended  along  the  ground,  and  the  country  still  looks 


150  THE    PAMPAS    OF    SOUTH    AMERICA. 

like  a  rough  crop  of  turnips.  In  less  than  a  month,  the 
change  is  most  extraordinary  ;  the  whole  region  becomes 
a  luxuriant  wood  of  enormous  thistles,  which  have  sud- 
denly shot  up  to  a  height  of  ten  or  eleven  feet,  and  are 
all  in  full  bloom.  The  road  or  path  is  hemmed  in  on 
both  sides  ;  the  view  is  completely  obstructed  ;  no  tan 
animal  is  to  be  seen  ;  and  the  stems  of  the  thistles  are 
so  close  to  each  other  and  so  strong,  that  independent 
of  the  prickles  with  which  they  are  armed,  they  form 
an  impenetrable  barrier.  The  sudden  growth  of  these 
plants  is  quite  astonishing;  and  though  it  would  be  an 
unusual  misfortune  in  military  history,  yet  it  is  really 
possible  that  an  invading  army  unacquainted  with  this 
country,  might  be  imprisoned  by  these  thistles  before 
they  had  time  to  escape  from  them.  The  summer  is 
not  over,  before  the  scene  undergoes  another  rapid 
change.  The  thistles  suddenly  lose  their  sap  and  ver- 
dure, their  heads  droop,  the  leaves  shrink  and  fade,  the 
stems  become  black  and  dead,  and  they  remain  rattling 
with  the  breeze  one  against  another,  until  the  violence 
of 4he  pampero  or  hurricane  levels  them  with  the  ground, 
where  they  rapidly  decompose  and  disappear, — the  clo- 
ver rushes  up,  and  the  scene  is  again  verdant. 

Although  a  few  individuals  are  either  scattered  along 
the  path  which  traverses  these  vast  plains,  or  are  living 
together  in  small  groups,  yet  the  general  state  of  the 
country  is  the  same  as  it  has  been  since  the  first  year 
of  its  creation.  The  whole  country  bears  the  noble 
stamp  of  an  imnipotent  Creator  ;  and  it  is  impossible 
for  any  one  to  ride  through  it,  without  feelings  which 
it  is  very  pleasing  to  entertain  ;  for  although,  in  all 
countries,  "  the  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God,  and 
the  firmament  showeth  his  handiwork,"  yet  the  surface 
of  populous  countries  affords  generally  the  insipid  pro- 
duce of  man's  labour.     It  is  an  easy  error  to  consider 


THE    PAMPAS   OF    SOUTH   AMERICA.  151 

that  he  who  has  tilled  the  ground,  and  has  sown  the 
seed,  is  the  author  of  his  crop  ;  and  therefore,  those 
who  are  accustomed  to  see  the  confused  produce  which, 
in  populous  and  cultivated  countries,  is  the  effect  of 
leaving  ground  to  itself,  are  at  first  surprised  in  the 
Pampas  to  observe  the  regularity  and  beauty  of  the  vege- 
table world,  when  left  to  the  wise  arrangements  of  na- 
ture. The  vast  region  of  grass  in  the  Pampas  for  four 
hundred  and  fifty  miles,  is  without  a  weed,  and  the  re- 
gion of  wood  is  equally  extraordinary.  The  trees  are 
not  crowded,  but  in  their  growth  such  beautiful  order  is 
observed,  that  one  may  gallop  between  them  in  every 
direction.  The  young  trees  are  rising  up,  others  are 
flourishing  in  full  vigour,  and  it  is  for  some  time  that 
one  looks  in  vain  for  those  which,  in  the  great  system 
of  succession  must  necessarily,  somewhere  or  other,  be 
sinking  towards  decay.  They  are  at  last  discovered ; 
but  their  fate  is  not  allowed  to  disfigure  the  general 
cheerfulness  of  the  scene,  and  they  are  seen  enjoying 
what  may  literally  be  termed  a  green  old  age.  The 
extremities  of  their  branches  break  off  as  they  die  :  and 
when  nothing  is  left  but  the  hollow  trunk,  it  is  still 
covered  with  twigs  and  leaves,  and  at  last  is  gradually 
concealed  from  view  by  the  young  shoots  which,  born 
under  the  shelter  of  its  branches,  now  rise  rapidly 
above  it,  and  conceal  its  decay.  A  few  places  are  met 
with  which  have  been  burnt  by  accident,  and  the  black 
desolate  spot,  covered  with  the  charred  trunks  of  trees, 
resembles  a  scene  in  the  human  world  of  pestilence  or 
war.  But  the  fire  is  scarcely  extinct  when  the  sur- 
rounding trees  all  seem  to  spread  their  branches  towards 
each  other,  and  young  shrubs  are  seen  rising  out  of  the 
ground,  while  the  sapless  trunks  are  evidently  moulder- 
ing into  dust. 
The  rivers  all  preserve  their  course,  and  the  whole 


152  THE    PAMPAS   OF    SOUTH    AMERICA. 

country  is  in  such  beautiful  order,  that  if  cities  and 
millions  of  inhabitant  could  suddenly  be  planted  at 
proper  intervals  and  situations,  the  people  would  have 
nothing  to  do  but  to  drive  out  their  cattle  and  graze,  and 
without  any  previous  preparation,  to  plough  whatever 
quantity  of  ground  their  wants  might  require. 

The  travelling  across  these  wild  and  extensive  regions  is  of  an 
extraordinary  kind.    The  author  says, — 

It  is  scarcely  possible  to  conceive  a  wilder  sight  than 
our  carriage  and  covered  cart,  as  I  often  saw  them,* 
galloping  over  the  trackless  plain,  and  preceded  or  fol- 
lowed by  a  troop  of  from  thirty  to  seventy  wild  horses, 
all  loose  and  galloping,  driven  by  a  Gaucho  and  his  son, 
and  sometimes  by  a  couple  of  children.  The  picture 
seems  to  correspond  with  the  danger  which  positively 
exists  in  passing  through  uninhabited  regions,  which 
are  so  often  invaded  by  the  merciless  Indians. 

In  crossing  the  Pampas,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to 
be  armed,  as  there  are  many  robbers  or  salteadores,  par- 
ticularly in  the  desolate  province  of  Santa  Fe.  The  object 
of  these  people  is,  of  course,  money,  and  I  therefore 
always  rode  so  badly  dressed,  and  so  well  armed,  that 
although  I  once  passed  through  them  with  no  one  but  a 
child  as  a  postillion,  they  thought  it  not  worth  their 
while  to  attack  me.  I  always  carried  two  brace  of  de- 
tonating pistols  in  a  belt,  and  a  short  detonating  double- 
barrelled  gun  in  my  hand.      I  made  it  a  rule  never  to 

*  I  was  one  day  observing  them,  instead  of  looking  before  me, 
when  my  horse  fell  in  a  biscachero,  and  rolled  over  upon  my  arm. 
It  was  so  crushed,  that  it  made  me  very  faint ;  but  before  I  could  get 
into  my  saddle,  the  carriages  were  almost  out  of  sight ;  and  while 
the  sky  was  still  looking  green  from  the  pain  I  was  enduring,  I  was 
obliged  to  ride  after  them;  and  I  believe  I  had  seven  miles  to  gallop, 
as  hard  a3  my  horse  could  go,  before  I  could  overtake  the  carriage  to 
give  up  my  horse. 


THE  MURDERED  TRAVELLER.  153 

be  an  instant  without  my  arms,  and  to  cock  both  barrels 
of  my  gun  whenever  I  met  any  Gauchos.  With  respect 
to  the  Indians,  a  person  riding  can  use  no  precaution, 
but  must  just  run  the  guantlet,  and  take  his  chance, 
which,  if  calculated,  is  a  good  one.  If  he  fall  in  with 
them,  he  may  be  tortured  and  killed  ;  but  it  is  very 
improbable  that  he  should  happen  to  find  them  on  the 
road ;  however,  they  are  so  cunning  and  ride  so  quick, 
and  the  country  is  so  uninhabited,  that  it  is  impossible 
to  gain  any  information  about  them  :  besides  this,  the 
people  are  so  alarmed,  and  there  are  so  many  constant 
reports  concerning  them,  that  it  becomes  useless  to 
attend  to  any,  and  I  believe  it  is  just  as  safe  to  ride 
towards  the  spot  at  which  one  hears  they  are  as  to  turn 
back.  The  greatest  danger  in  riding  alone  across  the 
Pampas,  is  the  constant  falls  which  the  horses  get  in 
the  holes  of  the  biscachos.  I  calculated,  that  upon  an 
average,  my  horse  fell  with  me  in  a  gallop  once  in 
every  three  hundred  miles ;  and  although  from  the 
ground  being  very  soft,  I  was  never  seriously  hurt,  yet 
previous  to  starting,  one  cannot  help  feeling  what  a 
forlorn  situation  it  would  be  to  break  a  limb,  or  dislo- 
cate a  joint,  so  many  hundred  miles  from  any  sort  of 
assistance. 


THE  MURDERED  TRAVELLER. 

When  Spring,  to  woods  and  wastes  around, 

Brought  bloom  and  joy  again, 
The  murdered  traveller's  bones  were  found, 

Far  down  a  narrow  glen. 
11 


154  THE    MURDERED   TRAVELLER. 

The  fragrant  birch,  above  him  hung 

Her  tassels  in  the  sky ; 
And  many  a  vernal  blossom  sprung, 

And  nodded,  careless,  by. 

The  red-bird  warbled,  as  he  wrought 

His  hanging  nest  o'erhead, 
And,  fearless,  near  the  fatal  spot, 

Her  young  the  partridge  led. 

But  there  was  weeping  far  away, 

And  gentle  eyes,  for  him, 
With  watching  many  an  anxious  day 

Grew  sorrowful  and  dim. 

They  little  knew,  who  loved  him  so, 

The  fearful  death  he  met, 
When  shouting  o'er  the  desert  snow, 

Unarm'd,  and  hard  bes*et; 

Nor  how,  when  round  the  frosty  pole, 

The  northern  dawn  was  red, 
The  mountain  wolf  and  wild- cat  stole 

To  banquet  on  the  dead  ; 

Nor  how,  when  strangers  found  his  bones, 

They  dressed  the  hasty  bier, 
And  marked  his  grave  with  nameless  stone, 

Unmoistened  by  a  tear. 

But  long  they  looked,  and  feared,  and  wept, 

Within  his  distant  home ; 
And  dreamed,  and  started  as  they  slept, 

For  joy  that  he  was  come. 


SPORTING  ADVENTURES  IN  SOUTHERN  AFRICA.   155 

So  long  they  looked — but  never  spied 

His  welcome  step  again, 
Nor  knew  the  fearful  death  he  died 

Far  down  that  narrow  glen. 

Brvant. 


SPORTING  ADVENTURES  IN  SOUTHERN  AFRICA. 

We  present  our  readers  with  the  succeeding  extracts  from  Captain 
Harris's  Field-Sports  of  Southern  Africa.  The  gallant  Captain 
seems  to  have  been  a  sportsman  of  more  than  usual  keenness; 
for,  not  content  with  the  wild  sports  of  Western  India,  he  deter- 
mined to  visit  Southern  Africa,  in  order  to  take  the  field  against 
elephants  and  lions,  as  well  as  the  more  unusual  kind  of  game — 
rhinoceroses,  hippopotami,  and  giraffes.  It  would  seem  that  the 
Captain's  passion  for  field-sports  showed  itself  early.  He  tells 
us,  that  his  first  essay  was  made  at  the  age  of  six,  when  he  dis- 
charged an  enormous  blunderbuss,  known  by  the  name  of  "Betsy/' 
at  a  flock  of  sparrows  perched  on  the  corner  of  a  neighbour's  pig- 
sty, with  considerable  effect;  but,  as  he  says  that  he  underwent 
severe  corporal  chastisement,  consequent  on  the  complaint  of  the 
proprietor,  we  rather  think  that  the  inmates  of  the  sty  suffered 
nearly  as  mutjh  as  the  sparrows.  Our  limits  will  not  permit  us  to 
relate  more  of  his  juvenile  exploits.  We  add  the  following  speci- 
mens, recommending  our  readers  to  consult  the  work  itself;  for 
the  whole  of  it  will  be  read  with  great  pleasure  and  profit. 

HUNTING    WILD    ELEPHANTS. 

Leaving  the  wagons  to  proceed  to  a  spot  agreed 
upon,  we  again  took  the  field  about  ten  o'clock,  and 
pursued  the  track  indefatigably  for  eight  miles,  over  a 
country  presenting  every  variety  of  feature.  At  one 
time,  we  crossed  bare  stony  ridges,  at  another  threaded 
the  intricacies  of  forests  ;  now  struggled  through  high 
fields  of  waving  grass,  and  again  emerged  into  open 
downs.      At    length   we    arrived    amongst    extensive 


156   SPORTING  ADVENTURES  IN  SOUTHERN  AFRICA. 

groups  of  grassy  hillocks,  covered  with  loose  stones, 
interspersed  with  streams  and  occasional  patches  of 
forest,  in  which  the  recent  ravages  of  elephants  were 
surprising.  Here,  to  our  inexpressible  gratification, 
we  descried  a  large  herd  of  those  long-sought  animals, 
lazily  browsing  at  the  head  of  a  distant  valley,  our 
attention  having  been  first  directed  to  it  by  the  strong 
effluvia  with  which  the  wind  was  impregnated.  Never 
having  before  seen  the  noble  elephant  in  his  native 
jungles,  we  gazed  on  the  sight  before  us  with  intense 
and  indescribable  interest.  Our  feelings  on  the  occa- 
sion even  extended  to  our  followers.  As  for  Andries, 
he  became  so  agitated  that  he  could  scarcely  articulate. 
With  open  eyes  and  quivering  lips,  he  at  length  stut- 
tered forth,  "  Dar  stand  di  olephant."  Mohanycon 
and  Lingap  were  immediately  dispatched  to  drive  the 
herd  back  into  the  valley,  up  which  we  rode  slowly  and 
without  noise,  against  the  wind  ;  and,  arriving  within 
one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  unperceived,  we  made  our 
horses  fast,  and  took  up  a  commanding  position  in  an 
old  stone  kraal.  The  shouting  of  the  savages,  who 
now  appeared  on  the  height  rattling  their  shields,  caused 
the  huge  animals  to  move  unsuspiciously  towards  us, 
and  even  within  ten  yards  of  our  ambush.  The  group 
consisted  of  nine,  all  females,  with  large  tusks.  We 
selected  the  finest,  and,  with  perfect  deliberation,  fired 
a  volley  of  five  balls  into  her.  She  stumbled ;  but, 
recovering  herself,  uttered  a  shrill  note  of  lamentation, 
when  the  whole  party  threw  their  trunks  above  their 
heads,  and  instantly  clambered  up  the  adjacent  hill 
with  incredible  celerity,  their  huge  fan-like  ears  flap- 
ping in  the  ratio  of  their  speed.  We  instantly  mounted 
our  horses,  and  the  sharp  loose  stones  not  suiting  the 
feet  of  the  wounded  lady,  soon  closed  with  her. 
Streaming  with  blood  and  infuriated  with  rage,  she 


SPORTING  ADVENTURES  IN  SOUTHERN  AFRICA.   157 

turned  upon  us  with  uplifted  trunk,  and  it  was  not  until 
after  repeated  discharges,  that  a  ball  took  effect  in  her 
brain,  and  threw  her  lifeless  on  the  earth,  which  re- 
sounded with  her  fall. 

Turning  our  attention  from  the  exciting  scene  I  have 
described,  we  found  that  a  second  valley  had  opened 
upon  us,  surrounded  by  bare  stony  hills,  and  traversed 
by  a  thinly  wooded  ravine.  Here  a  grand  and  magni- 
ficent panorama  was  before  us.  The  whole  face  of  the 
landscape  was  actually  covered  with  wild  elephants. 
There  could  not  have  been  fewer  than  three  hundred 
within  the  scope  of  our  vision  ;  every  height  and  green 
knoll  was  dotted  over  with  groups  of  them  ;  whilst  the 
bottom  of  the  glen  exhibited  a  dense  and  sable  living 
mass ;  their  colossal  forms  being  at  one  moment  par- 
tially concealed  by  the  trees  which  they  were  disfigur- 
ing with  giant  strength,  and,  at  others,  seen  majestic- 
ally emerging  into  the  open  glades,  bearing  in  their 
trunks  the  branches  of  trees  with  which  they  indolently 
protected  themselves  from  the  flies.  The  background 
was  filled  by  a  limited  peep  of  the  blue  mountainous 
range  which  here  assumed  a  remarkably  precipitous 
character,  and  completed  a  picture  at  once  soul-stirring 
and  sublime. 

Our  approach  being  still  against  the  wind,  was  unob- 
served, and  created  little  alarm  until  the  herd  that  we 
had  left  behind  suddenly  showed  itself,  recklessly  thun- 
dering down  the  side  of  the  hill  to  join  the  main  body, 
and  passing  so  close  to  us  that  we  could  not  refrain 
from  firing  a  broardside  into  one  of  them,  which  how- 
ever bravely  withstood  it.  We  secured  our  horses 
to  the  summit  of  a  stony  ridge,  and  then  stationing 
ourselves  at  an  opportune  place  on  a  ledge  overlooking 
the  woody  defile,  sent  Andries  to  manoeuvre,  so  that  as 
many  of  the  elephants  as  possible  should  pass  before  us 


158      SPORTING  ADVENTURES  IN    SOUTHERN   AFRICA. 

in  order  of  review,  that  we  might  ascertain,  by  a  close 
inspection,  whether  there  was  not  a  male  amongst  them. 
Toiling  sluggishly  along,  they  occasionally  halted 
beneath  an  umbrageous  tree  within  fifteen  yards  of  us, 
lazily  fanning  themselves  with  their  ample  ears,  blow- 
ing away  the  flies  with  their  trunks,  and  uttering  the 
feeble  peculiar  cry  familiar  to  Indians. 

They  all  proved  to  be  ladies,  and  most  of  them 
mothers,  followed  by  their  little  old-fashioned  calves, 
each  trudging  close  to  the  heels  of  her  dam,  and 
mimicking  all  her  actions.  Thus  situated,  we  might 
have  killed  any  number  we  pleased,  their  heads  being 
frequently  turned  towards  us  in  such  a  position,  and  so 
close,  that  a  single  ball  in  the  brain  would  have  sufficed 
for  each;  but,  whilst  wre  were  yet  hesitating,  a  bullet 
suddenly  whizzed  past  Richardson's  ear  and  put  the 
whole  herd  to  immediate  flight.  We  had  barely  time  to 
recede  behind  a  tree  before  a  party  of  about  twenty  with 
several  little  ones  in  their  wake,  were  upon  us,  striding 
at  their  utmost  speed,  and  trumpeting  loudly  with 
uplifted  heads.  I  rested  my  rifle  against  the  trees,  and 
firing  behind  the  shoulder  of  the  leader,  she  dropped 
instantly.  Another  large  detachment  appearing  close 
behind  us  at  the  same  moment,  we  were  compelled  to 
retreat,  dodging  from  tree  to  tree,  stumbling  amongst 
sharp  stones,  and  even  coming  upon  fresh  parties  of  the 
enemy. 


SPORTING    ADVENTURES    IN    SOUTHERN    AFRICA.       159 


HUNTING    THE     GIRAFFE. 

To  the  sportsman,  the  most  thrilling  passage  in  my 
adventures  is  now  to  be  recounted.  In  my  own  breast 
it  awakens  a  renewal  of  past  impressions  more  lively 
than  any  written  description  can  render  intelligible,  and 
far  abler  pens  than  mine,  dipped  in  more  glowing  tints, 
would  still  fall  short  of  the  reality,  and  leave  much  to 
be  supplied  by  the  imagination.  Three  hundred  gigantic 
elephants,  browsing  in  majestic  tranquillity  amidst 
the  wild  magnificence  of  an  African  landscape,  and  a 
wide-stretching  plain,  darkened,  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach,  with  a  moving  phalanx  of  gnoos,  and  quaggas, 
whose  numbers  literally  baffle  computation,  are  sights 
but  rarely  to  be  witnessed  ;  but  who  amongst  our  bro- 
ther Nimrods  shall  hear  of  riding  familiarly  by  the 
side  of  a  troop  of  colossal  giraffes,  and  not  feel  his 
spirit  stirred  within  him  1  He  that  would  behold  so 
marvellous  a  sight  must  dive,  as  we  did,  into  pathless 
wilds  traversed  only  by  the  brute  creation,  into  wide 
wastes  where  the  grim  lion  prowls,  monarch  of  all  he 
surveys,  and  where  the  gaunt  hyena  and  wild  dog  fear- 
lessly pursue  their  prey. 

Many  days  had  now  elapsed  since  we  had  even  seen 
the  camel-leopard,  and  then  only  in  small  numbers,  and 
under  most  unfavourable  circumstances ;  the  blood 
coursed  through  my  veins  like  quicksilver,  therefore, 
as,  on  the  morning  of  the  19th,  from  the  back  of  Brislar, 
my  most  trusty  steed,  with  a  firm-wooded  plain  before 
me,  I  counted  thirty-two  of  these  animals  industriously 
stretching  their  peacock  necks  to  crop  the  tiny  leaves 
which  fluttered  over  their  heads  in  a  mimosa  grove  that 
beautified  the  scenery.     They  were  within  a  hundred 


160      SPORTING   ADVENTURES    IN   SOUTHERN    AFRICA. 

yards  of  me,  but,  having-  previously  determined  to  try 
the  boarding  system,  I  reserved  my  fire.  Although  I 
had  taken  the  field  expressly  to  look  for  giraffes,  and 
had  put  four  Hottentots  on  horseback,  all,  excepting 
Piet,  had  as  usual  slipped  off  unperceived  in  pursuit  of 
a  troop  of  koodoos.  Our  stealthy  approach  was  soon 
opposed  by  an  ill-tempered  rhinoceros,  which,  with  her 
ugly  calf,  stood  directly  in  the  path,  and  the  twinkling 
of  her  bright  little  eyes,  accompanied  by  a  restless 
rolling  of  the  body,  giving  earnest  of  her  intention  to 
charge.  I  directed  Piet  to  salute  her  with  a  broadside, 
at  the  same  moment  putting  spurs  to  my  horse.  At  the 
report  of  the  gun,  and  the  sudden  clattering  of  hoofs, 
away  bounded  the  giraffes  in  grotesque  confusion,  clear- 
ing the  ground  by  a  succession  of  frog-like  hops,  and 
soon  leaving  me  far  in  the  rear.  Twice  were  their 
towering  forms  concealed  from  view  by  a  park  of  trees, 
which  we  entered  almost  at  the  same  instant;  and 
twice,  on  emerging  from  the  labyrinth,  did  I  perceive 
them  tilting  over  an  eminence  immeasurably  in  advance. 
A  white  turban  that  I  wore  round  my  hunting-cap, 
being  dragged  off  by  a  projecting  bough,  was  instantly 
charged  by  three  rhinoceroses ;  and,  looking  over  my 
shoulder,  I  could  see  them  long  afterwards,  fagging 
themselves  to  overtake  me.  In  the  course  of  five  minutes 
the  fugitives  arrived  at  a  small  river,  the  treacherous 
sands  of  which  receiving  their  long  legs,  their  flight 
was  greatly  retarded,  and,  after  floundering  to  the  oppo- 
site side,  and  scrambling  to  the  top  of  the  bank,  I 
perceived  that  their  race  was  run.  Patting  the  streaming 
neck  of  my  good  steed,  I  urged  him  again  to  his  utmost, 
and  instantly  found  myself  by  the  side  of  the  herd. 
The  stately  bull  being  readily  distinguishable  from  the 
rest  by  his  dark  chestnut  robe  and  superior  stature,  I 
applied    the   muzzle  of  my   rifle  behind  his   dappled 


SPORTING  ADVENTURES  IN  SOUTHERN  AFRICA.   161 

shoulder,  with  the  right  hand,  and  drew  both  triggers, 
but  he  still  continued  to  shuffle  along  ;  and  being  afraid 
of  losing  him,  should  I  dismount  among  the  extensive 
mimosa  groves  with  which  the  landscape  was  now 
obscured,  I  sat  in  my  saddle,  loading  and  firing  behind 
the  elbow,  and  then  placing  myself  across  his  path, 
until  the  tears  trickling  from  his  full  brilliant  eyes,  his 
lofty  frame  began  to  totter,  as,  at  the  seventeenth  dis- 
charge from  the  deadly  grooved  bore,  bowing  his  graceful 
head  from  the  skies,  his  proud  form  was  prostrate  in 
the  dust.  Never  shall  I  forget  the  tingling  excitement 
of  that  moment !  Alone,  in  the  wild  wood,  I  hurried 
with  bursting  exultation,  and,  unsaddling  my  steed, 
sank  beside  the  noble  prize  I  had  won. 

When  I  leisurely  contemplated  the  massive  frame 
before  me,  seeming  as  though  it  had  been  cast  in  a 
mould  of  brass,  and  protected  by  a  hide  of  an  inch  and 
an  half  in  thickness,  it  was  no  longer  matter  of  astonish- 
ment that  a  bullet  discharged  from  a  distance  of  eighty 
or  ninety  yards  should  have  been  attended  with  little 
effect  upon  such  amazing  strength.  The  extreme 
height  from  the  crown  of  the  elegantly-moulded  head  to 
the  hoof  of  this  magnificent  animal  was  eighteen  feet. 
Two  hours  were  passed  in  completing  a  drawing ;  and 
Piet  still  not  making  his  appearance,  I  cut  off  the  tail, 
which  exceeded  five  feet  in  length,  and  was  measurelessly 
the  most  estimable  trophy  I  had  gained.  But  proceed- 
ing to  saddle  my  horse,  which  I  had  left  quietly  grazing 
by  the  side  of  a  running  brook,  my  chagrin  may  be 
conceived  when  I  discovered  that  he  had  taken  advan- 
tage of  my  occupation  to  free  himself  from  his  halter 
and  abscond.  Being  ten  miles  from  the  wagons,  and 
in  a  perfectly  strange  country,  I  felt  convinced  that  the 
only  chance  of  recovering  my  pet  was  by  following  the 
trail,  whilst  doing  which  with   infinite  difficulty,  the 


162  SHIPWRECK  OF   THE   BLENDENHALL. 

ground  scarcely  deigning  to  receive  a  foot-print,  I  had 
the  satisfaction  of  meeting  Piet  and  Mohanycon,  who 
had  fortunately  seen  and  recaptured  the  truant.  Return- 
ing to  the  giraffe,  we  all  feasted  heartily  upon  the  flesh, 
which,  although  highly  scented  at  this  season  with  the 
rank  mokaala  blossoms,  was  far  from  despicable;  and, 
after  losing  our  way  in  consequence  of  the  twin-like 
resemblance  of  two  scarped  hills,  we  regained  the 
wagons  after  sunset. 


SHIPWRECK  OF   THE   BLENDENHALL. 

In  the  year  1821,  the  Blendenhall,  free  trader,  bound 
from  England  for  Bombay,  partly  laden  with  broad- 
cloths, was  prosecuting  her  voyage  with  every  prospect 
of  a  successful  issue.  While  thus  pursuing  her  way 
through  the  Atlantic,  she  was  unfortunately  driven  from 
her  course,  by  adverse  winds  and  currents,  more  to  the 
southward  and  westward  than  was  required,  and  it  be- 
came desirable  to  reach  the  island  of  Tristan  d'Acunha, 
in  order  to  ascertain  and  rectify  the  reckoning.  This 
island,  which  is  called  after  the  Portuguese  admiral  who 
first  discovered  it,  is  one  of  a  group  of  three,  the  others 
being  the  Inaccessible  and  Nightingale  Islands,  situated 
many  hundreds  of  miles  from  any  land,  and  in  a  south- 
westerly direction  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  The 
shores  are  rugged  and  precipitous  in  the  extreme,  and 
form,  perhaps,  the  most  dangerous  coast  upon  which  any 
vessel  could  be  driven. 

It  was  while  steering  to  reach  this  group  of  islands, 
that,  one  morning,  a  passenger  on  board  the  Blenden- 


SHIPWRECK   OF   THE   BLENDENHALL.  163 

hall,  who  chanced  to  be  upon  deck  earlier  than  usual, 
observed  great  quantities  of  sea-weed  occasionally  float- 
ing- alongside.  This  excited  some  alarm,  and  a  man  was 
immediately  sent  aloft  to  keep  a  good  look-out.  The 
weather  was  then  extremely  hazy,  though  moderate  ;  the 
weeds  continued  ;  all  were  on  the  alert;  they  shortened 
sail,  and  the  boatswain  piped  for  breakfast.  In  less  than 
ten  minutes,  "  Breakers  ahead !"  startled  every  soul, 
and  in  a  moment  all  were  on  deck.  "  Breakers  star- 
board !  breakers  larboard  !  breakers  all  around !"  was 
the  ominous  cry  a  moment  afterwards,  and  all  was  con- 
fusion. The  words  were  scarcely  uttered,  when,  and 
before  the  helm  was  up,  the  ill-fated  ship  struck,  and 
after  a  few  tremendous  shocks  against  the  sunken  reef,, 
she  parted  about  mid-ship.  Ropes  and  stays  were  cut 
away — all  rushed  forward,  as  if  instinctively,  and  had 
barely  reached  the  forecastle,  when  the  stern  and  quar- 
ter broke  asunder  with  a  violent  crash,  and  sunk  to  rise 
no  more.  Two  of  the  seamen  miserably  perished — the 
rest,  including  officers,  passengers,  and  crew,  held  on 
about  the  head  and  bows — the  struggle  was  for  life  ! 

At  this  moment  the  Inaccessible  Island,  which  till 
then  had  been  veiled  in  clouds  and  thick  mist,  appeared 
frowning  above  the  haze.  The  wreck  was  more  than 
two  miles  from  the  frightful  shore.  The  base  of  the 
island  was  still  buried  in  impenetrable  gloom.  In  this 
perilous  extremity,  one  was  for  cutting  away  the  anchor, 
which  had  been  got  up  to  the  cat-head  in  time  of  need ; 
another  was  for  cutting  down  the  fore-mast  (the  fore- 
top-mast  being  already  by  the  board.)  The  fog  totally 
disappeared,  and  the  black  rocky  island  stood  in  all  its 
rugged  deformity  before  their  eyes.  Suddenly  the  sun 
broke  out  in  full  splendour,  as  if  to  expose  more  clearly 
to  the  view  of  the  sufferers  their  dreadful  predicament. 
Despair  was  in  every  bosom — death,  arrayed  in  all  its 


164  SHIPWRECK  OF  THE  BLENDENHALL. 

terrors,  seemed  to  hover  over  the  wreck,  f  But  exertion 
was  required,  and  every  thing  that  human  energy  could 
devise  was  effected.  The  wreck,  on  which  all  eagerly 
clung,  was  fortunately  drifted  by  the  tide  and  wind  be- 
tween ledges  of  sunken  rocks  and  thundering  breakers, 
until,  after  the  lapse  of  six  hours,  it  entered  the  only 
spot  on  the  island  where  a  landing  was  possibly  prac- 
ticable, for  all  the  other  parts  of  the  coast  consisted  of 
perpendicular  cliffs  of  granite,  rising  from  amidst  the 
deafening  surf  to  the  height  of  twenty,  forty,  and  sixty 
feet.  As  the  shore  was  neared,  a  raft  was  prepared,  and 
on  this  a  few  paddled  for  the  cove.  At  last  the  wreck 
drove  right  in:  ropes  were  instantly  thrown  out,  and 
the  crew  and  passengers  (except  two  who  had  been 
crushed  in  the  wreck,)  including  three  ladies  and  a  fe- 
male attendant,  were  snatched  from  the  watery  grave, 
which  a  few  short  hours  before  had  appeared  inevitable, 
and  safely  landed  on  the  beach.  Evening  had  now  set 
in,  and  every  effort  was  made  to  secure  whatever  could 
be  saved  from  the  wreck.  Bales  of  cloth,  cases  of  wine, 
a  few  boxes  of  cheese,  some  hams,  the  carcass  of  a  milch 
cow  that  had  been  washed  on  shore,  buckets,  tubs,  butts, 
a  seaman's  chest  (containing  a  tinder-box,  and  needles 
and  thread,)  with  a  number  of  elegant  mahogany  turned 
bed-posts,  and  part  of  an  investment  for  the  Indian  mar- 
ket, were  got  on  shore.  The  rain  poured  down  in  tor- 
rents— all  hands  were  busily  at  work  to  procure  shelter 
from  the  weather;  and  with  the  bed-posts  and  broad- 
cloths, and  part  of  the  foresail,  as  many  tents  were  soon 
pitched  as  there  were  individuals  in  the  island. 

Drenched  with  the  sea  and  with  the  rain,  hungry, 
cold,  and  comfortless,  thousands  of  miles  from  their 
native  land,  almost  beyond  expectation  of  human  suc- 
cour, hope  nearly  annihilated,  the  shipwrecked  voyagers 
retired  to  their  tents.    In  the  morning  the  wreck  had 


SHIPWRECK  OF  THE  BLENDENHALL.        165 

gone  to  pieces ;  and  planks,  and  spars,  and  whatever 
had  floated  in,  were  eagerly  dragged  on  shore.  No 
sooner  was  the  unfortunate  ship  broken  up,  than  deem- 
ing themselves  freed  from  the  bonds  of  authority,  many 
began  to  secure  whatever  came  to  land ;  and  the  captain, 
officers,  passengers,  and  crew,  were  now  reduced  to  the 
same  level,  and  obliged  to  take  their  turn  to  fetch  water, 
and  explore  the  island  for  food.  The  work  of  exploring 
was  soon  over;  there  was  not  a  bird,  nor  a  quadruped, 
nor  a  single  tree  to  be  seen !  All  was  barren  and  deso- 
late. The  low  parts  were  scattered  over  with  stones 
and  sand,  and  a  few  stunted  reeds,  ferns,  and  other 
plants.  The  top  of  the  mountain  was  found  to  consist 
of  a  fragment  of  original  table-land,  very  marshy,  and 
full  of  deep  sloughs,  intersected  with  small  rills  of  water, 
pure  and  pellucid  as  crystal,  and  a  profusion  of  wild 
parsley  and  celery.  The  prospect  was  one  dreary  scene 
of  destitution,  without  a  single  ray  of  hope  to  relieve  the 
misery  of  the  desponding  crew.  After  some  days,  the 
dead  cow,  hams,  and  cheese,  were  consumed  ;  and  from 
one  end  of  the  island  to  the  other,  not  a  morsel  of  food 
could  be  seen.  Even  the  celery  began  to  fail.  A  few 
bottles  of  wine,  which,  for  security  had  been  secreted 
under  ground,  only  remained.  Famine  now  began  to 
threaten.  Every  stone  near  the  sea  was  examined  for 
shell-fish,  but  in  vain. 

In  this  dreadful  extremity,  and  while  the  half-famished 
seamen  were  at  night  squatting  in  sullen  dejection  round 
their  fires,  a  large  flock  of  sea-birds,  allured  by  the 
flames,  rushed  into  the  midst  of  them,  and  were  greedily 
laid  hold  of  as  fast  as  they  could  be  seized.  For  several 
nights  in  succession,  similar  flocks  came  in ;  and  by  mul- 
tiplying their  fires,  a  considerable  supply  was  secured. 
These  visits,  however,  ceased  at  length,  and  the  wretched 
party  were  exposed  again  to  the  most  severe  privation. 


166  SHIPWRECK  OF  THE   BLENDENHALL. 

When  their  stock  of  wild  fowl  had  been  exhausted  for 
more  than  two  days,  each  began  to  fear  they  were  now 
approaching  that  sad  point  of  necessity,  when,  between 
death  and  casting  lots  who  should  be  sacrificed  to  serve 
for  food  to  the  rest,  no  alternative  remains.  While  hor- 
ror at  the  bare  contemplation  of  an  extremity  so  repul- 
sive occupied  the  thoughts  of  all,  the  horizon  was 
observed  to  be  suddenly  obscured,  and  presently  clouds 
of  penguins  alighted  on  the  island.  The  low  grounds 
were  actually  covered ;  and  before  the  evening  was 
dark,  the  sand  could  not  be  seen  for  the  number  of 
eggs,  which,  like  a  sheet  of  snow,  layCon  the  surface  of 
the  earth.  The  penguins  continued  on  the  island  four 
or  five  days,  when,  as  if  by  signal,  the  whole  took  their 
flight,  and  were  never  seen  again.  A  few  were  killed, 
but  the  flesh  was  so  extremely  rank  and  nauseous  that 
it  could  not  be  eaten.  The  eggs  were  collected  and 
dressed  in  all  manner  of  ways,  and  supplied  abundance 
of  food  for  upwards  of  three  weeks.  At  the  expiration 
of  that  period,  famine  once  more  seemed  inevitable ;  the 
third  morning  began  to  dawn  upon  the  unfortunate  com- 
pany after  their  stock  of  eggs  were  exhausted;  they  had 
now  been  without  food  for  more  than  forty  hours,  and 
were  fainting  and  dejected ;  when,  as  though  this  deso- 
late rock  were  really  a  land  of  miracles,  a  man  came 
running  up  to  the  encampment  with  the  unexpected 
and  joyful  tidings  that  "  millions  of  sea-cows  had  come 
on  shore."  The  crew  climbed  over  the  ledge  of  rocks 
that  flanked  their  tents,  and  the  sight  of  a  shoal  of 
manatees  immediately  beneath  them  gladdened  their 
hearts.  These  came  in  with  the  flood,  and  were  left  in 
the  puddles  between  the  broken  rocks  of  the  cove.  This 
supply  continued  for  two  or  three  weeks.  The  flesh 
was  mere  blubber,  and  quite  unfit  for  food,  for  not  a 
man  could  retain  it  on  his  stomach ;  but  the  liver  was 


SHIPWRECK   OF  THE    BLENDENHALL.  167 

excellent,  and  on  this  they  subsisted.  In  the  mean 
time,  the  carpenter  with  his  gang  had  constructed  a 
boat,  and  four  of  the  men  had  adventured  in  her  for 
Tristan  d'Acunha,  in  hopes  of  ultimately  extricating 
their  fellow-sufferers  from  their  perilous  situation.  Un- 
fortunately the  boat  was  lost — whether  carried  away  by 
the  violence  of  the  currents  that  set  in  between  the 
islands,  or  dashed  to  pieces  against  the  breakers,  was 
never  known,  for  no  vestige  of  the  boat  or  the  crew  was 
ever  seen.  Before  the  manatees,  however,  began  to 
quit  the  shore,  a  second  boat  was  launched;  and  in  this 
an  officer  and  some  seamen  made  a  second  attempt,  and 
happily  succeeded  in  effecting  a  landing,  after  much 
labour,  on  the  island,  where  they  were  received  with 
much  cordiality  and  humanity  by  Governor  Glass — a 
personage  whom  it  will  be  necessary  to  describe. 

Tristan  d'Acunha  is  believed  to  have  been  uninhabit- 
ed until  1811,  when  three  Americans  took  up  their  resi- 
dence upon  it,  for  the  purpose  of  cultivating  vegetables, 
«md  selling  the  produce,  particularly  potatoes,  to  vessels 
which  might  touch  there  on  their  way  to  India,  the 
Cape,  or  other  parts  in  the  Southern  Ocean.  These 
Americans  remained  its  only  inhabitants  till  1816,  when, 
on  Bonaparte  being  sent  to  St.  Helena,  the  British 
government  deemed  it  expedient  to  garrison  the  island, 
and  setit  the  Falmouth  man-of-war  with  a  colony  of  forty 
persons,  which  arrived  in  the  month  of  August.  At 
this  time  the  chief  of  the  American  settlers  was  dead, 
and  two  only  survived  ;  but  what  finally  became  of  these 
we  are  not  informed.  The  British  garrison  was  soon 
given  up,  the  colony  abandoned,  and  all  returned  to  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  except  a  person  named  Glass,  a 
Scotchman,  who  had  been  corporal  of  artillery,  and  his 
wife,  a  Cape  Creole.  One  or  two  other  families  after- 
wards joined  them,  and  thus  the  foundation  of  a  nation 


16S  SHIPWRECK    OF   THE    BLENDENHALL. 

on  a  small  scale  was  formed ;  Mr.  Glass,  with  the  title 
and  character  of  governor,  like  a  second  Robinson  Cru- 
soe, being  the  undisputed  chief  and  lawgiver  of  the  whole. 
On  being  visited  in  1824  by  Mr.  Augustus  Earle,  the 
little  colony  was  found  to  be  on  the  increase,  a  con- 
siderable number  of  children  having  been  born  since 
the  period  of  settlement.  The  different  families  inha- 
bited a  small  village,  consisting  of  cottages  covered 
with  thatch  made  of  the  long  grass  of  the  island,  and 
exhibiting  an  air  of  comfort,  cleanliness,  and  plenty, 
truly  English. 

It  was  to  this  island  that  the  boat's  crew  of  the 
Blendenhall  had  bent  their  course,  and  its  principal  in- 
habitant, Governor  Glass,  showed  them  every  mark  of 
attention,  not  only  on  the  score  of  humanity,  but  because 
they  were  fellow- subjects  of  the  same  power — for,  be 
it  known,  Glass  did  not  lay  claim  to  independent  mon- 
archy, but  always  prayed  publicly  for  King  George,  as 
his  lawful  sovereign.  On  learning  the  situation  of  the 
crew  on  Inaccessible  Island,  he  instantly  launched  his 
boat,  and  unawed  by  considerations  of  personal  danger, 
hastened,  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  to  deliver  his  ship- 
wrecked countrymen  from  the  calamities  they  had  so 
long  endured.  He  made  repeated  trips,  surmounted  all 
difficulties,  and  fortunately  succeeded  in  safely  landing 
them  on  his  own  island,  after  they  had  been  exposed 
for  nearly  three  months  to  the  horrors  of  a  situation 
almost  unparalleled  in  the  recorded  sufferings  of  sea- 
faring men. 

After  being  hospitably  treated  by  Glass  and  his  com- 
pany for  three  months,  the  survivors  obtained  a  passage 
to  the  Cape,  all,  except  a  young  sailor  named  White, 
who  had  formed  an  attachment  to  one  of  the  servant 
girls  on  board,  and  who,  in  all  the  miseries  which  had 
been  endured,  had  been  her  constant  protector  and  com- 


THE    ORPHAN    BOY'S    TATiE.  169 

panion;  whilst  gratitude  on  her  part  prevented  her 
wishing  to  leave  him.  Both  chose  to  remain,  and  were 
forthwith  adopted  as  free  citizens  of  the  little  commu- 
nity. 


THE  ORPHAN  BOY'S  TALE. 

Stay,  lady — stay,  for  mercy's  sake, 
And  hear  a  helpless  orphan's  tale; 

Ah,  sure  my  looks  must  pity  wake — 
'Tis  want  that  makes  my  cheeks  so  pale ! 

Yet  I  was  once  my  mother's  pride, 
And  my  brave  father's  hope  and  joy; 

But  in  the  Nile's  proud  fight  he  died, 
And  I  am  now  an  orphan  boy  ! 

Poor  foolish  child !  how  pleased  was  I, 
When  news  of  Nelson's  victory  came, 

Along  the  crowded  streets  to  fly, 
And  see  the  lighted  windows  flame ! 

To  force  me  home  my  mother  sought ; 

She  could  not  bear  to  see  my  joy : 
For  with  my  father's  life  'twas  bought, 

And  made  me  a  poor  orphan  boy ! 

The  people's  shouts  were  long  and  loud — 
My  mother,  shudd'ring,  closed  her  ears  : 

"  Rejoice,  rejoice  !"  still  cried  the  crowd — 
My  mother  answered  with  her  tears. 
12 


170  THE    ORPHAN    BOY's    TALE. 

"  Oh  !  why  do  tears  steal  down  your  cheek," 
Cried  I,  "  while  others  shout  with  joy  !" 

She  kiss'd  me,  and  in  accents  weak, 
She  calPd  me  her  poor  orphan  boy. 

"What  is  an  orphan  boy]"  I  said; 

When  suddenly  she  gasp'd  for  breath, 
And  her  eyes  closed — I  shriek' d  for  aid : 

But,  ah,  her  eyes  were  closed  in  death ! 

My  hardships  since  I  will  not  tell ; 

But  now,  no  more  a  parent's  joy, 
Ah,  lady,  I  have  learnt  too  well 

What  'tis  to  be  an  orphan  boy  ! 

Oh,  were  I  by  your  bounty  fed  ! — 
Nay,  gentle  lady,  do  not  chide ; 

Trust  me,  I  mean  to  earn  my  bread — 
The  sailor's  orphan  boy  has  pride. 


Lady,  you  weep  ! — What  is  't  you  say  1 
You'll  give  me  clothing,  food,  employ ! 

Look  down,  dear  parents — look,  and  see 
Your  happy,  happy,  orphan  boy ! 

Southey. 


171 


ALGIERS. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  French  are  at  present  making  strenuous 
exertions  to  establish  themselves  in  Algiers,  a  province  on  the 
northern  coast  of  Africa,  lying  beyond  the  Straits  'of  Gibraltar. 
The  following  brief  history  of  this  country,  extracted  from  a  re- 
cent periodical,  will  explain  what  has  brought  the  French  there, 
as  well  as  prove  a  useful  introduction  to  the  article  which  fol- 
lows. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century,  a  Turk- 
ish sailor,  who  had  acquired  some  reputation  for  skill 
and  bravery,  was  entrusted  with  the  command  of  a 
Turkish  privateer,  fitted  out  by  speculators  in  Con- 
stantinople, with  the  intention  of  cruising  in  the 
Archipelago  against  merchant  vessels  belonging  to 
nations  at  war  with  the  Porte.  As  soon  as  he  got  out 
of  the  Dardanelles,  the  captain  persuaded  his  men  to 
sail  with  him  to  the  coast  of  Africa.  He  arrived  in 
1504,  in  the  harbour  of  Tunis,  and  was  well  received 
by  the  reigning  bey — for  all  the  Moorish  states  along 
the  coast  of  Africa  were  under  apprehensions  from  the 
power  of  Spain.  The  Turkish  captain  made  the  har- 
bour of  Tunis  his  head-quarters,  from  whence  he  sailed 
to  cruise  on  the  Mediterranean  ;  and  in  a  short  time  he 
had  a  large  fleet,  and  had  spread  his  fame  far  and  wide. 
By  an  European  corruption  of  a  familiar  appellation 
given  to  him  by  his  sailors,  he  became  known  as  the 
corsair  Barbarossa — a  word  of  terror  to  all  merchant- 
men on  the  Mediterranean.  After  many  contests,  Bar- 
barossa established  himself  in  Algiers,  from  whence  he 
began  to  extend  his  conquests  over  the  Arabs  of  the 
country.  The  Spaniards  had  some  settlements  on  the 
coast  of  Africa  ;  and,  alarmed  at  the  successes  of  Bar- 


172  ALGIERS. 

barossa,  they  applied  to  Charles  V.,  who  sent  over 
troops  to  attack  him.  Barbarossa,  who  had  only  about 
1500  men  to  cope  with  10,000,  retreated  to  Algiers; 
but  in  his  flight,  hearing  the  cries  of  his  men,  he  bravely 
turned  back  to  fight  the  Spaniards,  and  died  covered 
with  wounds. 

The  brother  of  Barbarossa  had  charge  of  Algiers, 
and  on  the  news  of  his  death,  the  Turks  of  the  town 
elected  him  as  his  brother's  successor.  This  Barba- 
rossa the  Second  proved  himself  in  no  way  inferior  in 
courage  and  energy  to  his  predecessor.  Finding  him- 
self insecure  in  his  possession  of  Algiers,  he  offered 
the  sovereignty  of  the  town  and  country  to  Selim  I., 
the  Turkish  sultan,  on  condition  of  being  made  viceroy 
or  pacha,  and  of  receiving  the  assistance  of  a  body  of 
troops.  The  offer  was  accepted ;  and  Barbarossa  being 
made  pacha,  Algiers  became  subject  to  the  Turkish 
authority — continued  really  so,  as  long  as  the  "  Sub- 
lime Porte"  retained  its  energy  and  vigour,  and  nomi- 
nally acknowledged  the  Turkish  rule,  even  while  acting 
independently  of  it. 

Barbarossa  was  made  grand  admiral  of  the  Turkish 
fleet,  and  left  the  command  of  Algiers  to  a  friend,  a 
native  of  Sardinia,  who  had  become  a  Mohammedan 
and  a  corsair.  From  that  period  Algiers  became  a  nest 
of  pirates,  the  terror  and  pest  of  the  Mediterranean. 
They  seized  the  vessels  of  all  nations  that  did  not  agree 
to  pay  them  tribute  ;  and  landing  suddenly  on  the 
shores  of  Italy  and  France,  used  to  plunder  the  villages, 
and  carry  off  the  inhabitants  into  slavery.  The  ex- 
ample of  the  Algerine  pirates  was  imitated  by  others 
of  the  Barbary  states ;  the  town  of  Salle,  in  Morocco, 
became  at  one  time  as  notorious  as  Algiers ;  and  both  on 
the  Atlantic  and  the  Mediterranean  the  Barbary  pirates 
were  an  object  of  fear  to  merchantmen. 


ALGIERS.  173 

Algiers  was  repeatedly  attacked  by  European  powers, 
whose  commerce  had  suffered  from  its  privateers :  but 
though  at  times  checked  by  warlike  demonstrations, 
bribed  by  the  payment  of  money,  or  compelled  to  enter 
into  treaties,  good  faith  was  seldom  kept ;  for  the  in- 
ducements of  plunder  and  slaves  were  too  powerful  for 
professional  pirates.  During  the  piesent  century,  while 
Europe  was  occupied  by  the  more  important  concerns  of 
a  continental  war,  the  Algerines  became  intolerable. 
The  United  States  gave  them  a  check  in  1815;  in  1816, 
Lord  Exmouth  went  to  Africa,  to  conclude  a  convention 
for  the  release  of  the  numerous  Christian  slaves  in  the 
Barbary  states  :  but  he  had  scarcely  returned  to  Eng- 
land, when  the  bad  faith  of  the  Algerines  was  mani- 
fested, by  their  violation  of  the  treaty.  Upon  this, 
Lord  Exmouth  was  sent  out  with  a  British  fleet;  and 
no  answer  being  returned  to  his  flag  of  truce,  he  bom- 
barded Algiers,  and  reduced  the  town  and  fortifications 
to  a  heap  of  ruins.  Thus  humbled,  the  dey  of  Algiers 
was  glad  to  submit  to  the  terms  imposed,  the  total  abo- 
lition of  Christian  slavery,  &e.  In  a  year  or  two,  how- 
ever, the  Algerines  began  to  resume  their  old  practices, 
until  a  gross  insult  having  been  offered  to  the  French 
consul,  for  which  no  satisfaction  was  given,  a  large 
armament  was  fitted  out  by  France,  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  taking  possession  of  Algiers,  and  finally  rooting 
out  this  nest  of  piracy,  which  had  literally  "  troubled 
the  nations"  for  three  centuries.  The  French  arma- 
ment arrived  in  June,  1830,  under  the  command  of 
General  Bourmont ;  Algiers  surrendered ;  the  dey,  the 
"  last  of  his  race,"  abdicated,  and  retired  to  Europe ; 
while  the  French  took  possession  of  the  town,  in  which 
they  found  about  two  millions  sterling  in  precious  me- 
tals and  stores. 

The  French  have  now  had  possession  of  Algiers  for 


174  ALGIERS. 

ten  years ;  and  though  they  have  wasted  much  blood 
and  treasure  in  various  attempts  to  extend  their  con- 
quests, they  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  possession  of 
anything  more  than  the  town  of  Algiers,  the  town  of 
Constantina,  (the  ancient  capital  of  Numidia),  and  a 
few  points  on  the  coast,  maintained  with  great  difficulty. 
The  nature  of  the  country,  and  the  character  of  the 
population,  offer  great  obstacles  to  their  success.  The 
line  of  coast  is  extensive,  but  it  is  comparatively  a 
mountainous  strip — the  Atlas  chain  running  through 
the  whole  territory  of  Algiers,  or,  as  the  French  call  it, 
Algeria.  Behind  the  strip  of  coast  lies  the  great  de- 
sert of  Sahara,  a  vast  extent  of  drifting  sand,  the 
borders  of  which  may  be  reached  in  about  sixty  or 
eighty  miles  from  the  sea.  The  natives  are  either  the 
descendants  of  the  original  inhabitants,  or  of  the  Arabs 
who  have  conquered  the  country ;  but  they  are  all  of 
nomadic  habits,  haughty,  fierce,  and  ignorant,  scarcely 
ever  acknowledged  the  Turkish  dominion,  and  appear 
heartily  to  hate  that  of  the  French.  One  of  the  most 
active  of  the  opponents  of  the  French  is  Abd-el-Kader, 
a  young  chief,  who  has  baffled  and  thwarted  them  year 
after  year.  It  is  impossible  to  read  the  French  accounts 
of  their  own  proceedings,  without  being  impressed  with 
the  idea  that  this  African  Arab  is  a  man  of  great  energy 
and  ability.  He  has  had  to  raise  supplies  ;  he  has  had 
to  keep  different  tribes  and  races  in  a  united  state,  to 
sustain  their  enthusiasm,  and  encourage  them  under 
their  disasters  :  yet  for  ten  years  this  man,  who,  as 
compared  with  the  French,  must  be  termed  a  semi- 
barbarian,  and  the  commander  of  barbarians,  has  con- 
trived to  give  ample  employment  to  French  military 
skill,  science,  and  courage. 


175 

THE   CAMP    OF   ABD-EL-KADER. 

The  following  description  of  the  camp  of  this  Arab  chieftain  will  be 
read  with  interest.  It  is  extracted  from  M.  De  France's  "  Narra- 
tive of  a  Five  Months'  Captivity  among  the  Arabs,"  a  work  evi- 
dently founded  on  fact,  but,  like  all  French  books  of  this  class,  in- 
debted greatly  to  the  imagination.  The  writer,  a  French  naval 
officer,  was  stationed,  with  his  vessel,  in  1836,  at  Arzew,  a  sea- 
port between  Algiers  and  Oran.  Having  landed  with  a  party  to 
procure  water  from  a  spring,  a  number  of  Arabs  darted  on  them, 
and  succeeded  in  carrying  him  off.  His  captors,  who  at  first  were 
disposed  to  kill  him,  decided  on  carrying  him  to  the  camp  of  Abd- 
el-Kader,  where  he  arrived  after  a  fatiguing  march. 

The  camp  of  Abd-el-Kader  was  situated  in  a  wood 
of  fig-trees,  upon  trie  road  itself  from  Moustaganem  to 
Mascarra  :  the  wheel-ruts  are  still  perfectly  distinguish- 
able which  the  cannons  of  the  French  had  made  at  the 
time  of  their  last  passage.  As  soon  as  we  arrived  at  the 
first  tent,  my  guides  made  me  dismount,  and  we  were 
immediately  surrounded  by  thousands  of  Arabs — men, 
women,  and  children,  who  began  to  make  the  air  re- 
sound with  their  confused  clamours.  I  distinguished, 
from  time  to  time,  •  Son  of  a  dog  ! — dog  of  a  Chris- 
tian ! — cut  off  his  head  V  the  whole  accompanied  with 
blows  and  the  customary  spitting.  However  the  Chaous* 
came  to  my  assistance.  They  drove  away  these  savages 
with  blows  of  their  sticks,  and  succeeded,  with  great 
difficulty,  in  rescuing  me  from  their  hands,  and  con- 
ducting me  to  the  tent  of  Abd-el-Kader,  by  making  a 
rampart  for  me  with  their  bodies. 

*  Chaous  are  the  executioners.  They  have  the  rank  of  officers, 
and  eat  with  Abd-el-Kader.  They  are  richly  clad,  and  generally 
carry  superb  yataghans  and  magnificent  pistols,  ornamented  with 
pearls  and  coral,  suspended  to  a  gilded  belt.  They  have  always  a 
stick  (baton)  in  their  hand,  of  which  they  make  constant  use,  for 
they  have  more  blows  to  give  than  heads  to  cut  off. 


176  THE    CAMP    OF    ABD-EL-KADER. 

This  brutal  reception  was  not  such  as  to  reassure  me. 
Moreover,  I  experienced  a  certain  dread  in  entering  the 
tent ;  but  Abd-el-Kader,  without  doubt  perceiving  my 
fear  by  the  paleness  of  my  countenance,  made  me  a  sign, 
with  a  smile,  to  be  seated,  and  said  to  me,  "  As  long  as 
you  remain  near  me,  you  have  neither  to  dread  bad 
treatment  nor  insults."  Emboldened  by  this  kind  recep- 
tion, I  asked  him  for  water.  I  had  not  drunk  since  the 
preceding  evening — thanks  to  the  horsemen  of  my 
escort.  Abd-el-Kader  had  me  immediately  conducted 
to  the  tent  which  served  as  a  magazine  for  provisions, 
where  they  gave  me  a  melon,  some  grapes,  some  white 
bread,  and  some  water.  I  experienced  at  this  moment 
sensations  and  feelings  I  had  never  expected  to  feel 
again.  The  kind  reception  of  Abd-el-Kader,  the  assur- 
ance he  had  hastened  to  give  me,  altogether  raised  my 
sunken  courage,  and  re-awakened  in  my  spirit  smiling 
and  flattering  hopes.  The  melon  was  excellent,  and 
the  water  fresh.  I  devoured  the  melon,  and  emptied  a 
pitcher  of  water. 

My  repast  being  finished,  I  was  reconducted  to  the 
tent  of  Abd-el-Kader.  This  tent  is  the  most  magnificent 
of  the  whole  camp.  It  is  thirty  feet  long,  and  eleven 
feet  high.  It  is  furnished  in  the  interior  with  cloth  of 
various  colours,  upon  which  (in  the  midst  of  arabesque 
and  crescents,  yellow,  red,  blue,  green)  hang  weepers, 
similar  in  their  form  to  those  which  decorate,  with  us, 
the  mortuary  cloths.  A  woollen  curtain  (haick)  divides 
it  into  two  unequal  parts ;  in  the  hinder  part,  which  is 
the  smallest,  is  a  mattress,  destined  for  the  siesta,  or 
sleep,  of  the  sultan.  A  small  door,  which  opens  to  the 
back,  serves  as  a  passage  for  those  in  waiting  in  tne 
tent,  and  to  the  slaves  more  particularly  attached  to  the 
person  of  Abd-el-Kader.  Ben- About  and  Ben-Faka,  of 
whom  we  shall  soon  speak,  have  the  charge  of  watching 


THE    CAMP    OF   ABD-EL-KADER.  177 

over  him  when  he  goes  out  by  this  door,  and  to  present 
water  to  him  for  his  ablutions.  During  the  day  the  two 
curtains,  which  close  at  night  the  front  of  the  tent,  rest 
attached  to  two  long  rods :  the  interior  is  thus  open  to 
all  eyes,  and  accessible  to  all  comers. 

In  one  of  the  corners,  on  the  ground,  are  rolled  four 
flags,  which  four  horsemen  always  carry  before  Abd-el- 
Kader  when  he  is  on  a  march.  They  are  of  silk;  the 
first,  the  banner  of  the  cavalry,  is  red ;  the  second,  the 
banner  of  the  infantry,  has  a  yellow  stripe  between  two 
horizontal  blue  stripes;  the  third, two  horizontal  stripes 
— the  one  green,  the  other  white ;  the  fourth  is  half 
yellow,  half  red.  On  Friday,  the  day  of  rest  for  the 
Arabs,  they  are  exposed  before  the  tent  of  the  sultan. 

Thirty  negro  slaves,  who  form  the  body-guard  of 
Abd-el-Kader,  surround  his  tent.  They  are  never  re- 
lieved, and  have  no  other  bed  than  the  earth.  A  great 
number  of  chaous  are  always  in  attendance  at  the  en- 
trance, waiting  the  orders  of  their  master. 

In  the  interior  is  an  elevated  stool,  covered  with  red 
silk,  of  which  Abd-el-Kader  makes  use  in  mounting  his 
horse.  There  is  also  a  small  mattress,  covered  with  a 
carpet,  upon  which  are  two  cushions  of  red  silk.  A 
chest  is  placed  at  each  end  of  the  mattress,  two  other 
chests  form  the  back,  and  a  carpet  covers  the  whole. 
All  this  forms  the  sofa  of  Abd-el-Kader.  The  boxes 
inclose  his  money  and  his  clothes.  A  carpet,  upon 
which  strangers  seat  themselves,  is  spread  upon  the 
ground. 

I  have  now  mentioned  all  the  furniture  and  all  the 
ornaments  of  the  tent  of  Abd-el-Kader.  I  must  describe 
the  life,  the  character,  the  manners,  the  habits  of  this 
man,  so  badly  known  even  to  this  day.  After  all  I  had 
heard  said  of  him,  I  expected  to  see  a  barbarian,  always 


178  THE    CAMP    OF    ABD-EL-KADER. 

ready  to  cut  off  heads,  a  tiger  thirsty  for  blood :  my 
expectation  was  much  deceived. 

Abd-el-Kader  is  twenty-eight  years  of  age.  He  is 
little,  being  not  more  than  five  feet  high ;  his  face  long, 
and  of  excessive  paleness ;  his  large  black  eyes  are  mild 
and  caressing ;  his  mouth  small  and  graceful ;  his  nose 
aquiline.  His  beard  is  thin,  but  very  black.  He  wears 
a  small  moustache,  which  gives  his  features,  naturally 
fine  and  benevolent,  a  martial  air,  which  becomes  him 
exceedingly.  The  ensemble  of  his  physiogomy  is  sweet 
and  agreeable.  Mons.  Bravais  has  told  me  that  an  Arab 
chief,  whose  name  I  have  forgotten,  being  one  day  on 
board  the  "  Loiret,"  in  the  captain's  state-room,  ex- 
claimed, on  seeing  the  portrait  of  a  woman,  Isabeau  de 
Baviere,  whom  the  engraver  had  taken  to  personify 
Europe,  "  There  is  Abd-el-Kader !"  Abd-el-Kader  has 
beautiful  small  hands  and  feet,  and  displays  some  co- 
quetry in  keeping  them  in  order.  He  is  always  wash- 
ing them.  While  conversing,  squatted  upon  his  cushions, 
he  holds  his  toes  in  his  fingers ;  or,  if  this  posture  fa- 
tigues him,  he  begins  to  pare,  to  clear  the  bottom  of  the 
nails  with  a  knife  and  scissors,  of  which  the  mother-of- 
pearl  handle  is  delicately  worked,  and  which  he  has 
constantly  in  his  hands. 

The  father  of  Abd-el-Kader,  who  has  been  dead  two 
years,  was  a  maraboot,  named  Mahidin,  who,  by  his 
good  fortune,  his  intelligence,  his  reputation  for  holi- 
ness, had  obtained  a  great  repute  among  the  Arabs,  and 
a  great  moral  influence  over  the  tribes.  He  had  per- 
formed the  journey  to  Mecca  twice;  he  had  twice  pros- 
trated himself  before  the  tomb  of  the  Prophet.  His  son 
accompunied  him  on  his  second  trip  ;  he  was  then  eight 
years  of  age.  His  youth  did  not  prevent  his  seeing, 
observing,  and  profiting;  he  already  knew  how  to  write 
and  read  Arabic,  and  had  also  learned  Italian.   On  their 


THE    CAMP    OF    ABD-EL-KADER.  179 

return  from  this  pious  expedition,  Mahidin  guided  the 
youthful  intelligence  of  his  son  in  the  difficult  study  of 
the  Koran,  at  the  same  time  that  he  instructed  him  in 
the  practical  part  of  business. 

The  taking  of  Algiers  occurred.  As  soon  as  we  had 
concluded  a  peace  with  the  Arabs,  Abd-el-Kader  labour- 
ed to  excite  the  tribes,  to  nourish  and  envenom  their 
resentments,  to  exalt  their  religious  fanaticism,  and, 
above  all,  to  become  their  chief.  The  intelligence,  the 
activity,  the  bravery,  the  address,  the  craft  of  the  young 
maraboot  soon  distinguished  him  among  the  tribes.  The 
Arabs  recognised  the  superiority  that  natural  advantages 
assured  him  over  them ;  they  became  accustomed  by 
degrees  to  consider  him  their  chief:  to-day,  he  is  their 
sultan.  He  is  the  only  man  capable  of  maintaining  the 
Arabs  against  our  attacks.  If  the  tribes  should  lose  him, 
discouraged  as  they  already  are,  and  tired  of  the  war, 
they  would  soon  place  themselves  under  our  rule. 

When  I  was  introduced  the  second  time  into  the  tent 
of  the  sultan,  he  was  seated  upon  some  pillows ;  his 
secretaries  and  some  maraboots,  squatted  down  in  a 
circle,  were  near  him.  His  smiling  and  gracious  coun- 
tenance formed  a  pleasing  contrast  with  their  stern  and 
savage  faces.  The  chief  secretary  first  drew  my  atten- 
tion. His  physiognomy  was  perfectly  Tartuffian — he  is 
a  rogue ;  he  always  urged  Abd-el-Kader  to  demand  a 
large  sum  of  money  for  my  ransom. 

The  sultan  ordered  me,  with  a  smile  full  of  kindness, 
to  be  seated. 

He  conversed  with  me  a  long  time  on  the  generals 
who  had  commanded  in  Africa,  and  he  inquired,  with  a 
great  deal  of  interest  and  curiosity,  what  had  become  of 
them.  At  the  name  of  General  Trezel  he  became  vio- 
lently angry,  and  exclaimed,  "  He  is  the  author  of  all 


180 


THE    CAMP    OF    ABD-EL-KADER. 


our  evils  !  He  is  the  man  who,  by  breaking  the  peace, 
has  caused  so  many  disasters !" 

I  understood  him  to  make  allusion  to  the  battle  of 
Tafna,  where  General  Bugeaud  retrieved  the  check  we 
had  received  at  Macta,  which  had  cost  us  five  hundred 
men. 

"How  many  horsemen,"  said  I  to  him,  "did  you 
lose  at  Tafna  I" 

"  How  many "?"  replied  he  with  anger,  "  how  many  1 
What  have  you  to  do  with  that  1  The  Arab  has  not 
been  killed  like  the  French  at  Macta.  You  have  not 
retrieved  the  great  victory  I  gained  over  you.  Five 
hundred  of  our  men  never  returned  from  Tafna."  I 
took  care  not  to  add  any  observation.  There  was  a 
moment's  silence,  after  which  he  smiled  and  said, 
"  have  you  need  of  anything  else  to-day?" 

M  I  am  quite  naked — have  me  clad." 

Abd-el-Kader  immediately  gave  orders  for  them  to 
dress  me.  I  retired,  on  a  sign  to  that  effect,  and  they 
conducted  me  to  the  magazine  of  provisions.  There 
they  supplied  me  with  a  cap,  a  very  light  haick,  a  shirt, 
and  slippers.  They  restored  me  my  trousers,  and  I 
put  them  on,  although  in  rags,  for  there  were  none  to 
be  found  in  the  magazine. 

After  undergoing  hardships  and  sufferings  of  no  ordinary  kind,  he 
at  last  got  exchanged  along  with  some  others  of  his  companions  in 
misfortune. 


181 


THE   DESTRUCTION   OF    SENNACHERIB. 

The  Assyrian  came  down  like  the  wolf  on  the  fold, 
And  his  cohorts  were  gleaming  in  purple  and  gold; 
And  the  sheen  of  their  spears  was  like  stars  on  the  sea, 
When  the  blue  wave  rolls  nightly  on  deep  Galilee. 

Like  the  leaves  of  the  forest  when  summer  is  green, 
That  host  with  their  banners  at  sunset  were  seen; 
Like  the  leaves  of  the  forest  when  autumn  hath  blown, 
That  host  on  the  morrow  lay  withered  and  strown. 

For  the  angel  of  death  spread  his  wings  on  the  blast, 
And  breathed  in  the  face  of  the  foe  as  he  passed  ; 
And  the  eyes  of  the  sleepers  wax'd  deadly  and  chill, 
And  their  hearts  but  once  heav'd  and  for  ever  grew  still. 

And  there  lay  the  steed  with  his  nostril  all  wide, 
But  through  it  there  roll'd  not  the  breath  of  his  pride: 
And  the  foam  of  his  gasping  lay  white  on  his  turf, 
And  cold  as  the  spray  of  the  rock-beating  surf. 

And  there  lay  the  rider  distorted  and  pale, 
With  the  dew  on  his  brow  and  the  rust  on  his  mail ; 
And  the  tents  were  all  silent,  the  banners  alone, 
The  lances  unlifted,  the  trumpet  unblown. 

And  the  widows  of  Ashur  are  loud  in  their  wail, 
And  the  idols  are  broke  in  the  temple  of  Baal; 
And  the  might  of  the  Gentile  unsmote  by  the  sword, 
Hath  melted  like  snow  in  the  glance  of  the  Lord. 

Byron. 


182 


STIRLING   CASTLE— THE   NIGHT   BEFORE 
BANNOCKBURN. 

couched  in  battle's  prompt  array 

Each  army  on  their  weapons  lay. 

It  was  on  a  night  of  lovely  June, 
High  rode  in  cloudless  blue  the  moon, 

Demayet  smil'd  beneath  her  ray ; 
Old  Stirling's  towers  arise  in  light, 
And,  twin'd  in  links  of  silver  bright, 

Her  winding  river  lay  ! 
Ah,  gentle  planet!  other  sight 
Shall  greet  the  next  returning  night, 
Of  broken  arms,  and  banners  tore, 
And  marshes  dark  with  human  gore, 
And  piles  of  slaughter'd  men  and  horse, 
And  Forth  that  floats  the  frequent  corse 
And  many  a  wounded  wretch  to  plain, 
Beneath  thy  silver  light  in  vain. 

Scott. 


183 


SCENES   IN   CENTRAL   AMERICA. 

Mb.  Stephens's  Travels  in  Central  America,  just  published,  is  re- 
plete with  much  interesting  information  and  stirring  adventure. 
It  would  be  impossible  to  give  any  detailed  outline  of  his  work, 
for  it  embraces  a  journey  of  three  thousand  miles.  We  therefore 
select  a  few  extracts,  feeling  assured  that  the  perusal  of  these  will 
induce  our  readers  to  take  the  earliest  opportunity  of  consulting 
the  book  itself. 

MISADVENTURES    OF    A  CARAVAN. 

Crossing  the  Mico  Mountain  is  no  joke.  In  a  few  minutes  after 
leaving  Yzabal,  the  caravan  to  which  Mr.  Stephens's  party  joined 
itself,  consisting  of  "nearly  a  hundred  mules  and  twenty  or  thirty 
muleteers,"  was  fetlock  deep  in  mud ;  then  came  great  puddles 
and  holes,  and  roots,  rising  two  or  three  feet  above  the  ground, 
which  crossed  the  path  in  every  direction;  next,  a  stream  which 
broke  rapidly  over  a  stony  bed. 

The  whole  caravan  was  moving  up  the  bed  of  the 
stream ;  the  water  was  darkened  by  the  shade  of  the 
overhanging  trees ;  the  muleteers,  without  shirts  and 
with  their  loose  trowsers  rolled  up  to  the  thighs  and 
down  from  the  waistband,  were  scattered  among  the 
mules.  ^One  was  chasing  a  stray  beast ;  a  second  dart- 
ing at  one  whose  load  was  slipping  ofT;  a  third  lifting 
up  one  that  had  fallen;  another,  with  his  foot  braced 
against  a  mule's  side,  straining  at  the  girth;  all  shout- 
ing, cursing,  and  lashing ;  the  whole  a  mass  of  inex- 
tricable confusion,  and  presenting  a  scene  almost  ter- 
rific. We  held  up  to  let  them  pass,  and,  crossing  the 
stream,  rode  a  short  distance  on  level  road,  but  over 
fetlock  deep  in  mud  ;  and,  cutting  off  a  bend,  fell  into 
the  stream  ourselves  in  the  middle  of  the  caravan. 
The  branches  of  the  trees  met  over  our  heads,  and  the 
bed  of  the  stream  was  so  broken  and  stony  that  the 


184  SCENES   IN    CENTRAL   AMERICA. 

mules  constantly  stumbled  and  fell.  Leaving  this, 
and  continuing  on  a  road  the  same  as  before,  in  an  hour 
we  reached  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  The  ascent  be- 
gan precipitously,  and  by  an  extraordinary  passage.  It 
was  a  narrow  gully,  worn  by  the  tracks  of  mules  and 
the  washing  of  mountain-torrents  so  deep  that  the 
sides  were  higher  than  our  heads,  and  so  narrow  that 
we  could  barely  pass  through  without  touching.  Our 
whole  caravan  moved  singly  through  these  muddy  de- 
files, the  muleteers  scattered  among  them,  and  on  the 
bank  above,  extricating  the  mules  as  they  stuck  fast, 
raising  them  as  they  fell,  arranging  their  cargoes,  curs- 
ing, shouting,  and  lashing  them  on.  If  one  stopped, 
all  behind  were  blocked  up,  unable  to  turn.  Any  sud- 
den start  pressed  us  against  the  sides  of  the  gulley ; 
and  there  was  no  small  danger  of  getting  a  leg  crushed. 
Emerging  from  this  defile,  we  came  again  among  deep 
mudholes  and  projecting  roots  of  trees,  with  the  addi- 
tional difficulty  of  a  steep  ascent.  The  trees,  too, 
were  larger,  and  their  roots  higher  and  extending  far- 
ther; and,  above  all,  the  mahogany-tree  threw  out  its 
giant  roots  high  at  the  trunk,  and  tapering,  not  round, 
like  the  roots  of  other  trees,  but  straight,  with  sharp 
edges,  traversing  rocks  and  the  roots  of  other  trees. 
It  was  the  last  of  the  rainy  season ;  the  heavy  rains, 
from  which  we  had  suffered  at  sea,  had  deluged  the 
mountain,  and  it  was  in  the  worst  state  to  be  passable ; 
for  sometimes  it  is  not  passable  at  all.  For  the  last 
few  days  there  had  been  no  rain;  but  we  had  hardly 
congratulated  ourselves  upon  our  good  fortune  in  hav- 
ing a  clear  day,  when  the  forest  became  darker,  and 
the  rain  poured.  The  woods  were  of  impenetrable 
thickness ;  and  there  was  no  view  except  that  of  the 
detestable  path  before  us.  For  five  long  hours  we  were 
dragged  through  mudholes,  squeezed  in  gulley s,  knocked 


SCENES    IN    CENTRAL   AMERICA.  185 

against  trees,  and  tumbled  over  roots ;  every  step  re- 
quired care  and  great  physical  exertion;  and  withal,  I 
felt  that  our  inglorious  epitaph  might  be,  "  Tossed 
over  the  head  of  a  mule,  brained  by  the  trunk  of  a 
mahogany-tree,  and  buried  in  the  mud  of  the  Mico 
Mountain."  We  attempted  to  walk ;  but  the  rocks 
and  roots  were  so  slippery,  the  mudholes  so  deep,  and 
the  ascents  and  descents  so  steep,  that  it  was  impossi- 
ble to  continue. 

We  were  toiling  on  toward  the  top  of  the  mountain, 
when,  at  a  sudden  turn,  we  met  a  solitary  traveller. 
He  was  a  tall,  dark-complexioned  man,  with  a  broad- 
brimmed  Panama  hat  rolled  up  at  the  sides,  a  striped 
woollen  Guatimala  jacket,  with  fringe  at  the  bottom; 
plaid  pantaloons,  leather  spatterdashes,  spurs,  and 
sword.  He  was  mounted  on  a  noble  mule,  with  a  high- 
peaked  saddle,  and  the  butts  of  a  pair  of  horseman's 
pistols  peeped  out  of  the  holsters.  His  face  was  co- 
vered with  sweat  and  mud,  his  breast  and  legs  were 
spattered,  and  his  right  side  was  a  complete  incrusta- 
tion; altogether,  his  appearance  was  fearful.  It  seemed 
strange  to  meet  any  one  on  such  a  road  ;  and,  to  our 
surprise,  he  accosted  us  in  English.  He  had  set  out 
with  muleteers  and  Indians,  but  had  lost  them  in  some 
of  the  windings  of  the  wood,  and  was  seeking  his 
way  alone..  He  had  crossed  the  mountain  twice  be- 
fore, but  had  never  known  it  so  bad.  He  had  been 
thrown  twice  ;  once  his  mule  rolled  over  him,  and 
nearly  crushed  him,  and  she  was  now  so  frightened, 
that  he  could  hardly  urge  her  along.  He  dismounted, 
and  the  trembling  beast  and  his  own  exhausted  state 
confirmed  all  that  he  had  said.  He  asked  us  for  brandy, 
wine,  or  water, — anything  to  revive  him, — but,  unfor- 
tunately, our  stores  were  ahead,  and  for  him  to  go  back 
one  step  was  out  of  the  question.  Imagine  our  sur- 
13 


186  SCENES    IN  CENTRAL    AMERICA. 

prise  when,  with  his  feet  buried  in  the  mud,  he  told  us 
that  he  had  been  two  years  in  Guatimala  negotiating 
for  a  bank  charter.  But  neither  of  us  had  time  to  lose ; 
and  parting,  though  with  some  reluctance,  almost  as 
abruptly  as  we  had  met,  we  continued  our  ascent.  At 
one  o'clock,  to  our  inexpressible  satisfaction,  we  reached 
the  top  of  the  mountain. 


THE    RUINS    OF   COPAN. 

Elaborate  details  and  illustrations  of  the  ruined  cities  of  Copanand 
Palenque  occupy  a  prominent  place  in  the  volumes  before  us. 
These  memorials  of  an  unknown  race  form  not  the  least  interest- 
ing portion  of  the  work;  and  Mr.  Stephens  states,  that  although 
he  visited  eight  ruined  cities,  there  are  traditions  floating  about 
the  country  of  ruins  yet  more  extensive. 

The  stream  was  wide,  and  in  some  places  deep, 
rapid,  and  with  a  broken  and  stony  bottom.  Fording 
it,  we  rode  along  the  bank  by  a  footpath  encumbered 
with  undergrowth,  which  Jose  opened  by  cutting  away 
the  branches,  until  we  came  to  the  foot  of  the  wall, 
where  we  again  dismounted  and  tied  our  mules.  The 
wall  was  of  cut  stone,  well  laid,  and  in  a  good  state  of 
%  preservation.  We  ascended  by  large  stone  steps,  in 
some  places  perfect,  and  in  others  thrown  down  by 
trees  which  had  grown  up  between  the  crevices,  and 
reached  a  terrace,  the  form  of  which  it  was  impossible 
to  make  out,  from  the  density  of  the  forest  in  which  it 
was  enveloped.  Our  guide  cleared  a  way  with  his 
machete,  and  we  passed,  as  it  lay  half  buried  in 
the  earth,  a  large  fragment  of  stone  elaborately  sculp- 
tured,  and  came    to   the    angle   of  a  structure   with 


SCENES    IN    CENTRAL    AMERICA.  187 

steps  on  the  sides,  in  form  and  appearance,  so  far  as 
the  trees  would  enable  us  to  make  it  out,  like  the 
sides  of  a  pyramid.  Diverging  from  the  base,  and 
working  our  way  through  the  thick  woods,  we  came 
upon  a  square  stone  column,  about  fourteen  feet  high 
and  three  feet  on  each  side,  sculptured  in  very  bold  re- 
lief, and  on  all  four  of  the  sides,  from  the  base  to  the 
top.  The  front  was  the  figure  of  a  man,  curiously  and 
richly  dressed ;  and  the  face,  evidently  a  portrait,  so- 
lemn, stem,  and  well  fitted  to  excite  terror.  The  back 
was  of  a  different  design,  unlike  any  thing  we  had 
ever  seen  before ;  and  the  sides  were  covered  with 
hieroglyphics.  This  our  guide  called  an  "  idol,"  and 
before  it,  at  a  distance  of  three  feet,  was  a  large  block 
of  stone,  also  sculptured  with  figures  and  emblematical 
devices,  which  he  called  an  altar.  The  sight  of  this 
unexpected  monument  put  at  rest,  at  once  and  for  ever, 
in  our  minds,  all  uncertainty  in  regard  to  the  character 
of  American  antiquities,  and  gave  us  the  assurance  that 
the  objects  we  were  in  search  of  were  interesting,  not 
only  as  the  remains  of  an  unknown  people,  but  as 
works  of  art,  proving,  like  newly-discovered  historical 
records,  that  the  people  who  once  occupied  the  conti- 
nent of  America  were  not  savages.  With  an  interest 
perhaps  stronger  than  we  had  ever  felt  in  wandering 
among  the  ruins  of  Egypt,  we  followed  our  guide,  who, 
sometimes  missing  his  way,  with  a  constant  and  vigor- 
ous use  of  his  machete,  conducted  us  through  the  thick 
forest,  among  half-buried  fragments,  to  fourteen  monu- 
ments of  the  same  character  and  appearance,  some 
with  more  elegant  designs,  and  some  in  workmanship 
equal  to  the  finest  monuments  of  the  Egyptians  ;  one 
displaced  from  its  pedestal  by  enormous  roots  ;  another 
locked  in  the  close  embrace  of  branches  of  trees,  and 
almost  lifted  out  of  the  earth;  another  hurled  to  the 


188  SCENES   IN   CENTRAL    AMERICA. 

ground,  and  bound  down  by  huge  vines  and  creepers  ; 
and  one  standing,  with  its  altar  before  it,  seeming  to 
shade  and  shroud  it  as  a  sacred  thing.  In  the  solemn 
stillness  of  the  woods,  it  seemed  a  divinity  mourning 
over  a  fallen  people.  The  only  sounds  that  disturbed 
the  quiet  of  this  buried  city  were  the  noise  of  monkeys 
moving  among  the  tops  of  the  trees,  and  the  cracking 
of  dry  branches  broken  by  their  weight.  They  moved 
over  our  heads  in  long  and  swift  processions,  forty  or 
fifty  at  a  time ;  some  with  little  ones  wound  in  their 
long  arms,  walking  out  to  the  end  of  boughs,  and 
holding  on  with  their  hind  feet  or  a  curl  of  the  tail, 
sprang  to  a  branch  of  the  next  tree,  and  with  a  noise 
like  a  current  of  wind,  passed  on  into  the  depths  of  the 
forest.  It  was  the  first  time  we  had  seen  these  mockers 
of  humanity ;  and,  with  the  strange  monuments  around 
us,  they  seemed  like  wandering  spirits  of  the  departed 
race,  guarding  the  ruins  of  their  former  habitations. 
We  returned  to  the  base  of  the  pyramidal  structure, 
and  ascended  by  regular  stone-steps,  in  some  places 
forced  apart  by  bushes  and  saplings,  and  in  others 
thrown  down  by  the  growth  of  large  trees,  while  some 
remained  entire.  In  parts,  they  were  ornamented  with 
sculptured  figures  and  rows  of  death's  heads.  Climb- 
ing over  the  ruined  top,  we  reached  a  terrace  over- 
grown with  trees,  and,  crossing  it,  descended  by  stone 
steps  into  an  area  so  covered  with  trees,  that  at  first  we 
could  not  make  out  its  form,  but  which,  on  clearing  the 
way  with  the  machete,  we  ascertained  to  be  a  square, 
and  with  steps  on  all  the  sides  almost  as  perfect  as 
those  of  the  Roman  amphitheatre.  The  steps  were 
ornamented  with  sculpture;  and  on  the  south  side, 
about  half-way  up,  forced  out  of  its  place  by  roots,  was 
a  colossal  head,  evidently  a  portrait.  We  ascended 
these  steps,  and  reached  a  broad  terrace  a  hundred  feet 


SCENES    IN   CENTRAL    AMERICA.  189 

high,  overlooking  the  river,  and  supported  by  the  wall 
which  we  had  seen  from  the  opposite  bank.  The  whole 
terrace  was  covered  with  trees  ;  and,  even  at  this  height 
from  the  ground,  were  two  gigantic  caibas,  or  wild 
cotton  trees  of  India,  above  twenty  feet  in  circumfer- 
ence, extending  their  half  naked  roots  fifty  or  a  hun- 
dred feet  around,  binding  down  the  ruins,  and  shading 
them  with  their  wide-spreading  branches. 

There  were  no  associations  connected  with  the  place  ; 
none  of  those  stirring  recollections  which  hallow  Rome, 
Athens,  and 

"  The  world's  great  mistress  on  the  Egyptian  plain ;" 

but  architecture,  sculpture,  and  painting — all  the  arts 
which  embellish  life — had  flourished  in  this  overgrown 
forest ;  orators,  warriors,  and  statesmen, — beauty,  am 
bition,  and  glory,  had  lived  and  passed  away,  and  none 
knew  that  such  things  had  been,  or  could  tell  of  their 
past  existence.  All  was  mystery, — dark,  impenetrable 
mystery, — and  every  circumstance  increased  it.  In 
Egypt,  the  colossal  skeletons  of  gigantic  temples  stand 
in  the  unwatered  sands  in  all  the  nakedness  of  desola- 
tion; here  an  immense  forest  shrouded  the  ruins,  hiding 
them  from  sight,  heightening  the  impression  and  moral 
effect,  and  giving  an  intensity  and  almost  wildness  to 
the  interest. 


VISIT    TO   THE    VOLCANO    OF    MASAYA. 

I  resolved  to  give  one  day  to  the  volcano  of  Masaya 
For  this  purpose,  I  sent  a  courier  ahead  to  procure  me 
a  guide  up  the  volcano,  and  did  not  get  off  till  eleven 
o'clock.     At  a  short  distance  from  the  city,  we  met  a 


190  SCENES    IN   CENTRAL   AMERICA. 

little  negro  on  horseback,  dressed  in  the  black  suit  that 
nature  made  him,  with  two  large  plantain  leaves  for  a 
saddle.  At  the  distance  of  two  leagues  we  came  in  sight 
of  the  volcano,  and  at  four  o'clock,  after  a  hot  ride,  en- 
tered the  town,  one  of  the  oldest  and  largest  in  Nicara- 
gua; and,  though  completely  inland,  containing,  with 
its  suburbs,  a  population  of  twenty  thousand.  We  rode 
to  the  house  of  Don  Sabino  Satroon,  who  lay,  with  his 
mouth  open,  snoring  in  a  hammock;  but  his  wife,  a 
pretty  young  half-blood,  received  me  cordially,  and, 
with  a  proper  regard  for  the  infirmities  of  an  old  hus- 
band and  for  me,  did  not  wake  him  up.  All  at  once, 
he  shut  his  mouth  and  opened  his  eyes,  and  gave  me  a 
cordial  welcome.  Don  Sabino  was  a  Colombian,  who 
had  been  banished  for  ten  years,  as  he  said,  for  service 
rendered  his  country;  and,  having  found  his  way  to 
Masaya,  had  married  this  pretty  young  half-blood,  and 
set  up  as  doctor.  Inside  the  door,  behind  a  little  stack 
of  rice,  sausages,  and  chocolate,  was  a  formidable  array 
of  jars  and  bottles,  exhibiting  as  many  colours  and  as 
puzzling  labels  as  an  apothecary's  shop  at  home.  I  had 
time  to  take  a  short  walk  round  the  town ;  and  turning 
down  the  wood,  at  the  distance  of  half  a  mile,  came  to 
the  brink  of  a  precipice  more  than  one  hundred  feet 
high,  at  the  foot  of  which,  and  a  short  distance  beyond, 
was  the  lake  of  Masaya.  The  descent  was  almost  per- 
pendicular ;  in  one  place  by  a  rough  ladder,  and  then  by 
steps  cut  in  the  rock.  I  was  obliged  to  stop,  while 
fifteen  or  twenty  women,  most  of  them  young  girls, 
passed.  Their  water-jars  were  made  of  the  shell  of  a 
large  gourd,  round,  with  fanciful  figures  scratched  on 
them,  and  painted  or  glazed,  supported  on  the  back  by 
a  strap  across  the  forehead,  and  secured  by  fine  net- 
work. Below,  they  were  chattering  gaily ;  but  by  the 
time  they  reached  the  place  where  I  stood,  they  were 


SCENES    IN    CENTRAL   AMERICA.  191 

silent,  their  movements  very  slow,  their  breathing  hard, 
and  faces  covered  with  profuse  perspiration.  This  was 
a  great  part  of  the  daily  labour  of  the  women  of  the 
place ;  and  in  this  way  they  procured  enough  for  do- 
mestic use,  but  every  horse,  mule,  or  cow,  was  obliged 
to  go  by  a  circuitous  road  of  more  than  a  league  for 
water. 

In  the  mean  time  my  guide  arrived,  who,  to  my  great 
satisfaction,  was  no  less  a  personage  than  the  alcalde 
himself.  The  arrangements  were  soon  made,  and  I  was 
to  join  him  the  next  morning  at  his  house  in  Nindiri. 
I  gave  my  mules  and  Nicolas  a  day's  rest,  and  started 
on  Don  Sabino's  horse,  with  a  boy  to  act  as  guide  and 
to  carry  a  pair  of  alforgas  with  provisions.  In  half  an 
hour,  I  reached  Nindiri,  having  met  more  people  than 
on  my  whole  route  from  San  Jose  to  Nicaragua.  The 
alcalde  was  ready,  and  in  company  with  an  assistant 
who  carried  a  pair  of  alforgas  with  provisions  and  a 
calabash  of  water,  all  mounted,  we  set  out.  At  the  dis- 
tance of  half  a  league,  we  left  the  main  road,  and  turned 
off  on  a  small  path  in  the  woods  on  the  left.  We 
emerged  from  this  into  an  open  field  covered  with  lava, 
extending  to  the  base  of  the  volcano  in  front,  and  on 
each  side  as  far  as  I  could  see,  black,  several  feet  deep, 
and  in  some  places  lying  in  high  ridges.  A  faint  track 
was  beaten  by  cattle  over  this  plain  of  lava.  In  front 
were  two  volcanoes,  from  both  of  which  streams  of  lava 
had  run  down  the  sides  into  the  plain  That  directly  in 
front  of  my  guide  was  the  volcano  of  Masaya.  In  that  on 
the  right,  and  farthest  from  us,  the  crater  was  broken, 
and  the  great  chasm  inside  was  visible.  This,  he  said, 
was  called  Ventuo  (a  name  I  never  heard  before),  and 
that  it  never  was  accessible.  Riding  toward  that  in 
front,  and  crossing  the  field  of  lava,  we  reached  the  foot 
of  the  volcano.  Here  the  grass  was  high,  but  the  ground 


192  SCENES    IN    CENTRAL    AMERICA. 

was  rough  and  uneven,  being  covered  with  decomposed 
lava.  We  ascended  on  horseback  until  it  became  too 
steep  for  our  horses  to  carry  us,  and  then  dismounted 
and  tied  them  to  a  bush,  and  continued  on  foot.  I  was 
already  uneasy  as  to  my  guides'  knowledge  of  localities, 
and  soon  found  that  they  were  unwilling  or  unable  to 
endure  much  fatigue.  Before  we  were  half-way  up, 
they  disencumbered  themselves  of  the  water-jar  and  pro- 
visions, and  yet  they  lagged  behind.  The  alcalde  was 
a  man  about  forty,  who  rode  his  horse;  and  being  a 
man  of  consequence  in  the  town,  I  could  not  order  him 
to  go  faster.  His  associate  was  some  ten  years  older, 
and  physically  incapable ;  and  seeing  that  they  did  not 
know  any  particular  path,  I  left  them  and  went  on  alone. 
At  eleven  o'clock,  or  three  hours  from  the  village  of 
Nindiri,  I  reached  the  high  point  at  which  we  were  aim- 
ing, and  from  this  point  I  expected  to  look  down  into 
the  crater  of  the  volcano ;  but  there  was  no  crater,  and 
the  whole  surface  was  covered  with  gigantic  masses  of 
lava,  and  overgrown  with  bushes  and  shrub  trees.  I 
waited  till  my  guides  came  up,  who  told  me  that  this 
was  the  volcano  of  Masaya,  and  that  there  was  nothing 
more  to  see.  The  alcalde  insisted  that,  two  years  before, 
he  had  ascended  with  the  cura,  since  deceased,  and  a 
party  of  villagers,  and  they  all  stopped  at  this  place.  I 
was  discouraged  and  dissatisfied.  Directly  opposite 
rose  a  high  peak,  which  I  thought,  from  its  position, 
must  command  a  view  of  the  crater  of  the  other  volcano. 
I  attempted  to  reach  it  by  passing  round  the  circum- 
ference of  the  mountain,  but  was  obstructed  by  an  im- 
mense chasm,  and,  returning,  struck  directly  across.  I 
had  no  idea  what  I  was  attempting.  The  whole  was 
covered  with  lava  lying  in  ridges  and  irregular  masses, 
the  surface  varying  at  every  step,  and  overgrown  with 
trees  and  bushes.     After  an  hour  of  the  hardest  work  I 


SCENES    IN   CENTRAL   AMERICA.  193 

ever  had  in  my  life,  I  reached  the  point  at  which  I 
aimed,  and  to  my  astonishment,  instead  of  seeing  the 
crater  of  the  distant  volcano,  I  was  on  the  brink  of 
another. 

The  crater  was  about  a  mile  and  a  half  in  circum- 
ference, five  or  six  hundred  feet  deep,  with  sides  slightly 
sloping,  and  so  regular  in  its  proportions  that  it  seemed 
an  artificial  excavation.  The  bottom  was  level,  both 
sides  and  bottom  covered  with  grass,  and  it  seemed  an 
immense  conical  green  basin.  There  were  none  of  the 
fearful  marks  of  a  volcanic  eruption ;  nothing  to  terrify 
or  suggest  the  idea  of  el  inferno  ,•  but,  on  the  contrary, 
it  was  a  scene  of  singular  and  quiet  beauty.  I  de- 
scended to  the  side  of  the  crater,  and  walked  along  the 
edge,  looking  down  into  the  area.  Toward  the  other 
end  was  a  group  of  arboletos,  or  little  trees,  and  in  one 
place  no  grass  grew,  and  the  ground  was  black  and 
loamy,  like  mud  drying  up.  I  felt  curious  to  know 
what  was  below ;  but  the  sides  of  the  crater  were  per- 
pendicular. Entirely  alone,  and  with  an  hour's  very 
hard  work  between  me  and  my  guides,  I  hesitated  about 
making  any  attempt  to  descend,  but  I  disliked  to  return 
without.  In  one  place,  and  near  the  black  earth,  the 
side  was  broken,  and  there  were  some  bushes  and  scrub- 
trees.  I  planted  my  gun  against  a  stone,  tied  my 
handkerchief  around  it  as  a  signal  of  my  whereabout, 
and  very  soon  was  below  the  level  of  the  ground.  Let- 
ting myself  down  by  the  aid  of  roots,  bushes,  and  pro- 
jecting stones,  I  descended  to  a  scrub-tree  which  grew 
out  of  the  side,  about  half-way  from  the  bottom,  and 
below  this  it  was  a  naked  and  perpendicular  wall.  It 
was  impossible  to  go  any  farther.  I  was  even  obliged 
to  keep  on  the  upper  side  of  the  tree,  and  here  I  was 
more  anxious  than  ever  to  reach  the  bottom, -hut  it  was 
of  no  use.      Hanging  mid-way,  impressed  with  the  soli 


194  THE    RATTLESNAKE. 

tude  and  the  extraordinary  features  of  a  scene  upon 
which  so  few  human  eyes  have  ever  rested,  and  the 
power  of  the  great  Architect  who  has  scattered  his  won- 
derful works  over  the  whole  face  of  the  earth,  I  could 
not  but  reflect  what  a  waste  of  the  bounties  of  Provi- 
dence in  this  favoured  but  miserable  land. 

Meanwhile,  though  anxious  to  be  at  the  bottom,  I 
was  casting  my  eyes  wistfully  to  the  top.  The  turning 
of  an  angle,  breaking  of  a  branch,  rolling  of  a  stone, 
or  a  failure  of  strength,  might  put  me  where  I  should 
have  been  as  hard  to  find  as  the  government  of  Central 
America.  I  commenced  climbing  up,  slowly  and  with 
care,  and  in  due  time  hauled  myself  out  in  safety. 


THE    RATTLESNAKE. 

A  writer  in  th'e  Philosophical  Journal  presented,  a  few  years  ago, 
the  following  anecdotes  of  this  remarkable  creature  :— 

Rattlesnakes  have  the  power  of  laying  down  their 
fangs  along  their  jaw-bones  when  at  rest,  and  of  raising 
them  at  will,  as  sharks  also  do,  and  some  other  fishes. 
It  is  only  when  inflicting-  a  defensive  wound  that  their 
fangs  are  used.  At  this  time  the  snake,  either  coiled  or 
in  any  other  position,  has  the  power  of  darting  about 
two-thirds  of  its  body  towards  its  object ;  and  with  its 
mouth  open  to  its  utmost  stretch,  all  its  fangs  being- 
erect,  it  strikes  so  violent  a  blow  whilst  it  bites,  that  I 
have  been  assured  by  some  Osage  chiefs,  that  on  such 
occasions  they  felt,  when  struck,  as  if  about  to  be 
thrown  off  their  centre  of  gravity.  The  fangs  make 
their  way  into  flesh,  or,  indeed,  into  tough  leather,  with 
perfect  ease,  and  instantaneously.  The  wound  is  gen- 
erally mortal,  if  proper  remedies  be  not  at  once  resorted 


THE    RATTLESNAKE.  195 

to.  Among  the  native  Americans,  cutting  out  the 
wounded  part,  and  searing,  or,  as  it  is  termed  in  the 
country,  searing  it  with  fire,  is  considered  the  most 
effectual ;  but  even  this  requires  great  promptitude  to 
afford  a  chance  of  safely.  The  quantity  of  venom  in- 
fused is  more  or  less,  as  the  animal  may  have  been 
more  or  less  irritated.  If  made  to  bite  themselves, 
their  own  flesh  affords  no  antidote,  for  they  die  in  ex- 
cruciating torments.  The  venom  of  a  rattlesnake,  while 
the  animal  is  striking  an  object,  will  be  sometimes 
ejected  to  a  considerable  distance.  I  have  seen  one 
confined  in  a  wire  cage,  when  much  enraged,  strike 
against  the  bars  so  furiously  that  the  poison  was  sent 
several  feet  towards  me. 

To  give  you  an  idea  of  the  long  time  this  poison 
retains  its  property,  I  shall  relate  a  curious  but  well- 
authenticated  series  of  facts,  which  took  place  in  a 
central  district  of  the  state  of  Pennsylvania,  about 
twenty  years  ago.  A  farmer  was  so  slightly  bit  through 
the  boot  by  a  rattlesnake,  as  he  was  walking  to  view 
his  ripening  corn-fields,  that  the  pain  felt  was  thought 
by  him  to  have  been  from  the  scratch  of  a  thorn,  not 
having  seen  or  heard  the  reptile.  Upon  his  return 
home,  he  felt,  on  a  sudden,  violently  sick  at  the 
stomach,  vomited  with  great  pain,  and  died  in  a  few 
hours.  Twelve  months  after  this,  the  eldest  son,  who 
had  taken  his  father's  boots,  put  them  on,  and  went  to 
church  at  some  distance.  On  his  going  to  bed  that 
night,  whilst  drawing  off  his  boots,  he  felt  slightly 
scratched  in  the  leg,  but  merely  mentioned  it  to  his 
wife,  and  rubbed  the  place  with  his  hand.  In  a  few 
hours,  however,  he  was  awakened  by  violent  pains, 
complained  of  general  giddiness,  fainted  frequently, 
and  expired  before  any  succour  could  by  applied  with 
success;  the  cause  of  his  illness  also  being  quite  a 


196 


THE    RATTLESNAKE. 


mystery.  In  the  course  of  time  his  effects  were  sold, 
and  a  second  brother,  through  filial  affection,  purchased 
the  boots,  and,  if  I  remember  rightly,  put  them  on 
about  two  years  after.  As  he  drew  them  off,  he  felt  a 
scratch,  and  complained  of  it,  when  the  widowed  sister 
being  present,  recollected  that  the  same  pain  had  been 
felt  by  her  husband  on  the  like  occasion.  The  youth 
went  to  bed,  suffered  and  died  in  the  same  way  that 
his  father  and  brother  had  done  before  him.  These 
repeated  and  singular  deaths  being  rumoured  in  the 
country,  a  medical  gentleman  called  upon  the  friends 
of  the  deceased  to  inquire  into  the  particulars,  and  at 
once  pronounced  their  deaths  to  have  been  occasioned 
by  venom.  The  boots  that  had  been  the  cause  of  com- 
plaint were  brought  to  him,  when  he  cut  one  of  them 
open  with  care,  and  discovered  the  extreme  point  of  the 
fang  of  a  rattlesnake  issuing  from  the  leather,  and 
assured  the  people  that  this  had  done  all  the  mischief. 
To  prove  this  satisfactorily,  he  scratched  with  it  the 
nose  of  a  dog,  and  the  dog  died  in  a  few  hours  from  the 
poisonous  effect  it  was  still  able  to  convey.  In  con- 
firmation of  these  facts,  I  have  been  told  by  native 
Americans  that  arrows  dipt  in  rattlesnake  venom  would 
carry  death  for  ages  after. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  wonderful  faculties  pos- 
sessed by  this  and  many  other  species  of  snakes,  is  that 
of  being  able  to  live,  without  any  food  whatever,  for 
years;  and  it  is  quite  as  remarkable,  that,  during  the 
lapse  of  this  astonishing  fast,  their  appearance  and 
condition  scarcely  exhibit  their  being  in  any  want. 
Their  movements,  the  power  of  rattling,  and  that  of 
inflicting  mortal  wounds,  are  perfectly  kept  up.  One 
which  I  confined  in  a  cage  for  three  years,  had  fre- 
quently rats,  young  rabbits,  and  birds  of  various  kinds 
put  in,  sometimes  alive,  and  at  other  times  dead,  with- 


lavallette's  escape   from  prison.  197 

out  their  ever  being  touched,  not  even  a  movement 
would  be  made  by  the  snake  to  approach  them;  while, 
on  the  contrary,  the  live  quadrupeds  and  birds  showed 
great  symptoms  of  fear,  and  threw  themselves  violently 
in  all  directions  about  the  cage  to  effect  their  escape 
from  an  enemy  well  known  to  them.  The  operation  of 
throwing  off  its  skin  annually,  was,  however,  aban- 
doned, after  the  first  spring  of  confinement ;  and  as  the 
animal  was  small,  and  I  did  not  consider  it  as  arrived 
at  its  middle  age,  I  measured  its  length  with  accuracy, 
and  discovered  that  during  the  whole  time  of  its 
imprisonment  it  did  not  grow  in  the  least.  To  what 
extent  this  power  of  abstinence  is  ever  used  when  the 
animal  is  at  liberty,  I  am  unable  to  tell ;  but  I  have 
thought  that  the  animal's  possessing  it  so  eminently 
went  a  great  way  towards  proving  that  it  had  not  that 
of  fascination,  as  it  would  be  very  unnatural  for  an 
animal  so  gifted  to  lie  and  suffer,  while  the  single 
glance  of  a  magnetic  eye  could  bring  down  a  bird  at 
once  from  the  top  of  any  tree  into  its  mouth. 


LAVALLETTE'S   ESCAPE  FROM   PRISON. 

Count  Lavallette  in  early  life  was  an  attached 
friend  of  the  Bourbon  dynasty,  but  the  exciting  events 
of  the  revolution  having  opened  up  to  him  the  pros- 
pect of  an  ambitious  career,  he  became  one  of  the  most 
intrepid  soldiers  and  supporters  of  the  French  republic. 
During  the  latter  years  of  the  reign  of  Napoleon  he 
held  the  chief  place  in  the  Post  Office  establishment, 
from  which  he  retired  on  the  introduction  of  the  Bour- 
bons. He  was  now  accused  for  having  been  an  accom- 
plice in  the  conspiracy  which  brought  on  the  events 


198  lavallette's  escape   from  prison. 

which  terminated  in  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  and,  after 
two  days'  discussion,  was  condemned  to  death.  Im- 
mured in  prison,  he  endeavoured  to  avert  his  fate  by  a 
writ  of  error,  but  this,  along  wTith  a  petition  for  pardon 
presented  by  Madame  Lavallette,  was  refused.  The 
day  of  his  execution  approached,  the  unfortunate  man 
had  no  hope  left;  the  turnkeys  themselves  trembled. 
On  the  eve  of  that  last  day,  the  Countess  Lavallette 
entered  his  prison.  She  had  put  on  a  pelisse  of  me- 
rino, richly  lined  with  fur,  which  she  was  accustomed 
to  wear  when  she  left  a  ball-room  :  in  her  reticule  she 
had  a  black  silk  gown.  Coming  up  to  her  husband, 
she  assured  him,  with  a  firm  voice,  that  all  was  lost, 
and  he  had  nothing  more  to  hope  than  in  a  well  com- 
bined escape.  She  showed  him  the  woman's  attire, 
and  proposed  to  him  to  disguise  himself.  Every  pre- 
caution had  been  taken  to  secure  his  escape.  A  sedan 
chair  would  receive  him  on  his  coming  out  of  prison ; 
a  cabriolet  waited  for  him  on  the  Quay  des  Orferres — 
a  devoted  friend,  a  safe  retreat,  would  answer  any  fur- 
ther objections.  M.  Lavallette  listened  to  her  without 
approving  of  so  hazardous  a  plan — he  was  resigned 
to  his  fate,  and  refused  to  fly  from  it.  "  I  know  how 
to  act  my  part  in  a  tragedy,"  said  he,  "  but  spare  me 
the  burlesque  farce.  I  shall  be  apprehended  in  this 
ridiculous  disguise,  and  they  will,  perhaps,  expose  me 
to  the  mockery  of  the  mob  !  On  the  other  hand,  if  I 
escape,  you  will  remain  a  prey  to  the  insolence  of  pri- 
son valets,  and  to  the  persecution  of  my  enemies." 
"  If  you  die,  I  die;  save  your  life  to  save  mine  !"  The 
prisoner  yielded  to  her  urgent  entreaties.  "  Now  put 
on  the  disguise,"  she  added ;  "  it  is  time  to  go  :  no 
farewell — no  tears — your  hours  are  counted  !"  And 
when  the  toilet  was  finished,  "  Adieu,"  she  said  ;  "  do 
not  forget  to  stoop  w7hen  you  pass  under  the  wickets, 


LAVALLETTE 'S    ESCAPE  FROM   PRISON.  199 

for  fear  the  feathers  of  your  bonnet  should  stick  fast." 
She  then  pulled  the  bell,  and  rushed  behind  a  screen. 
The  door  opened — he  passed,  followed  by  an  old  ser- 
vant of  his  wife,  and  leaning  on  his  daughter's  arm. 
When  they  arrived  at  the  sedan  chair,  the  chairmen 
were  not  there.  The  soldiers  of  the  guard-house  had 
assembled  to  see  Madame  Lavallette,  and  looked  on 
without  moving  !  This  was  a  fearful  \moment.  The 
men  arrived  at  last;  the  chair  went  off.  A  few  minutes 
later,  a  cabriolet,  drawn  by  a  swift  horse,  rolled  over 
the  stones  of  the  Pont  Michel.  This  took  place  on 
the  23d  of  December;  M.  Lavallette  remained  con- 
cealed in  Paris  until  the  10th  of  January.  A  singular 
favour  of  fortune  gave  him  as  a  Tetreat  the  very  roof 
under  which  lived  one  of  his  political  enemies,  equally 
powerful  by  his  name,  his  station,  and  his  wealth. 
From  the  garret  floor  which  Lavallette  inhabited,  he 
heard  persons  crying  in  the  streets  the  police  ordinance 
which  prescribed  search  after  his  person.  The  barriers 
were  shut;  the  delivery  of  passports  suspended;  ex- 
presses, bearing  the  description  of  his  person,  were 
flying  about  on  every  side.  In  the  chambers,  in  the 
court  circles,  the  utmost  consternation  prevailed  among 
those  who  were  convinced  that  all  was  lost  if  M.  La- 
vallette was  not  retaken.  Paris,  however,  rejoiced, 
while  the  police,  falsely  accused  of  connivance,  burned 
with  impatience  to  damp  the  public  joy,  and  answer, 
by  a  feat  worthy  of  its  zeal,  the  complaints  of  the 
gilded  drawing-rooms,  and  the  reproaches  that  re-echoed 
from  the  tribune.  In  the  midst  of  all  these  dangers 
Count  Lavallette  lived,  protected  by  a  family  to  whom 
he  was  personally  unknown,  but  whose  courageous 
friendship  helped  him  to  bear  the  agonies  of  his  con- 
cealment. His  days  passed  on  between  agreeable  con- 
versation and  diversified  reading;    a  double-barrelled 


200  lavallette's  escape  from  prison. 

pistol,  hid  under  his  pillow,  like  a  talisman,  secured  to 
him  some  nightly  rest.  This  lasted  seventeen  days. 
Finally,  on  the  9th  of  January  1816,  at  eight  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  he  went  on  foot  with  a  friend  to  Cap- 
tain Hutchinson's  lodgings,  and  next  day,  at  the  very 
hour  when  a  gibbet  was  being  put  up  on  the  Place  de 
Greve  for  his  execution  in  effigy,  he  set  off,  dressed  in 
English  regimentals,  with  Sir  Robert  Wilson,  crossed 
the  barriers  in  an  open  cabriolet,  and  proceeded  to 
Mons.  During  this  journey,  M.  Lavallette,  who  did 
not  know  one  word  of  English,  was  forced  to  keep  a 
handkerchief  to  his  face,  as  if  he  had  been  suffering 
from  a  violent  toothache,  that  he  might  not  be  under 
the  necessity  of  speaking  to  the  numerous  English 
officers  that  stopped  his  guide  on  the  road.  Once,  at 
Compiegne,  having  entered  a  public  room  in  an  inn,  a 
travelling  clerk  of  a  trading  house  told  him  the  whole 
history  of  his  escape  from  prison,  accompanied  by  the 
most  ridiculous  circumstances ;  and  adding  between 
every  sentence  the  words,  "  You  may  believe  me,  foi 
I  was  in  Paris  at  the  time."  Another  time,  near  the 
frontiers,  a  captain  of  gendarmerie  asked  for  their  pass- 
ports, and  took  them  with  him.  M.  Lavallette  travelled 
under  the  name  of  Colonel  Lossack.  The  captain  came 
back  a  long  while  afterwards,  saying  that  there  was  no 
colonel  of  that  name  in  the  English  army.  Sir  Robert 
replied  that  he  was  talking  nonsense ;  that  they  were 
fools  for  staying  so  long;  and,  making  a  sign  to  the 
postillions,  they  set  off  at  full  speed.  At  Mons  his 
generous  guide  was  to  leave  him.  M.  Lavallette,  deeply 
affected,  pressed  his  hands  while  expressing  his  grati- 
tude. Lavallette  crossed  a  part  of  Germany,  and  soon 
entered  upon  the  hospitable  soil  of  Bavaria.  The  king 
received  him  with  great  zeal,  and  protected  him  against 
the  French  ministry,  who  insisted  on  his  being  deli- 


THE    COURSE    OF   LIFE.  201 

vered  up  to  them.  The  Duchess  of  St.  Leu  offered 
him  her  house,  and  Prince  Eugene  lavished  on  him  all 
the  consolations  of  friendship.  In  1822,  Lavallette 
was  restored  to  his  native  country,  by  letters  of  pardon 
granted  by  Louis  XVIII. 


THE  COURSE  OF  LIFE. 

(Translated  from  a  beautiful  Spanish  poem  by  Jorge  Manrique,  on 
the  death  of  his  father,  quoted  in  the  Edinburgh  Review.) 

O  !  let  the  soul  its  slumber  break, 
•Arouse  its  senses  and  awake, 

To  see  how  soon 
Life,  with  its  glories,  glides  away, 
And  the  stern  footstep  of  decay 

Comes  stealing  on. 

How  pleasure,  like  the  passing  wind, 
Blows  by,  and  leaves  us  nought  behind 

But  grief  at  last ; 
How  still  our  present  happiness 
Seems,  to  the  wayward  fancy,  less 
Than  what  is  past. 

Our  lives  like  hasting  streams  must  be, 
That  into  one  engulfing  sea 

Are  doomed  to  fall :         s 
The  Sea  of  Death,  whose  waves  roll  on, 
O'er  king  and  kingdom,  crown  and  throne, 

And  swallow  all. 
14 


202  THE    COURSE    OF   LIFE. 

Alike  the  river's  lordly  tide, 
Alike  the  humble  riv'lets  glide 

To  that  sad  wave ; 
Death  levels  poverty  and  pride, 
And  rich  and  poor  sleep  side  by  side 

Within  the  grave. 

Our  birth  is  but  a  starting  place, 
Life  is  the  running  of  the  race, 

And  death  the  goal : 
There  all  our  steps  at  last  are  brought, 
That  path  alone,  of  all  unsought, 

Is  found  of  all. 

Where  are  the  strength  that  mock  decay, 
The  step  that  rose  so  light  and  gay, 

The  heart's  blithe  tone'? — 
The  strength  is  gone,  the  step  is  slow, 
And  joy  grows  weariness  and  woe 

When  age  comes  on. 

Say,  then,  how  poor  and  little  worth 
Are  all  those  glittering  toys  of  earth 

That  lure  us  here  ; 
Dreams  of  a  sleep  that  death  must  break, 
Alas  !  befoie  it  bids  us  wake, 

Ye  disappear. 


203 


SINGULAR    PRESERVATION   OF   A   PARTY   OF   SHIP- 
WRECKED  SEAMEN. 

There  appeared  in  the  newspapers  of  1823,  a  roost  interesting  and 
affecting  account  of  the  wreck  and  loss  of  a  small  English  trading 
vessel  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  with  a  narrative  of  the  preservation 
of  the  crew  on  some  obscure  islets  lying  out  of  the  usual  track  of 
navigation,  at  the  distance  of  six  or  seven  hundred  miles  south- 
east from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  The  account  presented  was  in 
substance  as  follows. 

On  the  9th  of  May  1820,  the  Princess  of  Wales 
smack,  of  75  tons  burden,  commanded  by  Mr.  T.  Beck- 
with,  sailed  from  the  Thames  for  Prince  Edward's  Island 
in  the  Indian  Ocean,  with  a  crew  of  fifteen  men,  for  the 
the  purpose  of  catching  seals  and  other  cetaceous  ani- 
mals for  the  sake  of  their  skins.  The  voyage  was  every 
way  prosperous ;  the  vessel  arrived  at  its  destination, 
where  the  seal-catching  commenced  on  the  1st  Novem- 
ber, and  remained  till  the  subsequent  March  1821. 
Having,  as  it  would  appear,  exhausted  the  objects  of 
pursuit  in  this  quarter,  the  vessel  proceeded  farther  to 
some  desert  islands,  called  the  Crozettes,  situated  47 
degrees  south  latitude,  and  47  degrees  east  longitude. 
This  proved  a  fatal  adventure.  On  the  17th  of  March, 
on  reaching  the  Crozettes,  a  party  of  eight  seamen  was 
dispatched  in  a  boat  to  one  of  the  islands,  there  to  re- 
main some  time  seal-catching,  while  the  vessel  proceeded 
to  another  island  to  land  a  party  for  the  same  purpose. 
In  the  course  of  the  day,  after  reaching  the  second  island, 
a  heavy  swell  began  to  set  in  towards  the  shore,  and  the 
captain,  in  order  to  gain  an  offing,  was  obliged  to  slip 
the  cable,  and  endeavour  to  stand  out  to  sea.  Such, 
however,  was  the  strength  of  the  current  and  the  un- 
manageableness  of  the  vessel,  that  the   most    serious 


204  PRESERVATION    OF    A   PARTY    OF    SEAMEN. 

apprehensions  were  entertained  for  its  safety/  In  this 
condition  the  crew  continued  in  hourly  expectation  of 
striking  on  outlying  reefs  until  midnight,  when,  to  settle 
all  doubts  on  the  subject,  the  unfortunate  bark  struck 
with  tremendous  force. 

The  striking  of  a  vessel,  whether  on  sand-banks  or 
rocks,  particularly  the  latter,  is  ordinarily  the  signal  of 
destruction.  On  the  present  occasion,  the  crew  instantly 
expected  such  a  catastrophe,  and  proposed  to  get  out 
the  boat  and  try  to  gain  the  island ;  but  the  captain, 
who  knew  its  desolate  condition,  and  believed  they 
could  only  linger  out  a  few  days  there  in  dreadful  want, 
opposed  the  proposition,  and  he  chose  rather  to  close 
his  sufferings  by  a  speedy  death  as  the  less  horrible 
alternative.  The  crew,  however,  considered  that  there 
was  still  hope,  and,  under  the  circumstances,  assuming 
the  right  of  acting  for  themselves,  they  got  the  boat  out 
over  the  gunwale,  and  threw  into  her  a  few  things 
which  they  were  able  hastily  to  collect.  Still,  how- 
ever, they  refused  to  leave  their  captain  to  perish,  and, 
after  some  entreaty,  they  prevailed  upon  him  to  commit 
himself  to  the  boat  with  them.  The  night  was  dark, 
rainy,  and  boisterous,  and  the  sea  dashed  over  the  rocks 
by  which  they  were  surrounded.  They  found  the  shore 
to  be  much  nearer  than  they  expected,  but  could  not 
land,  as  it  was  bounded  by  a  perpendicular  rock.  After 
rowing  about  for  nearly  four  hours,  they  came  into  a 
sort  of  cove,  where  they  got  on  shore  in  safety,  but  the 
boat  was  swamped.  How  they  escaped  the  rocks  in 
that  darkness  and  heavy  sea,  was  afterwards  matter  of 
astonishment  to  them.  They  hauled  up  the  boat,  turned 
it  over,  and  got  under  it. 

When  the  day  broke,  they  perceived  the  vessel  lying 
on  her  beam-ends,  with  a  large  hole  in  her  lower  planks, 
which  proved  that  from  the  instant  she  first  struck  she 


PRESERVATION    OF    A    PARTY   OF    SEAMEN.  205 

could  not  afterwards  have  lived.  The  sea  was  washing 
over  her,  and  it  was  evident  that  she  must  soon  go  to 
pieces.  They  were  unable  to  launch  the  boat  to  save 
any  thing  from  the  wreck.  Amongst  the  articles  put 
into  the  boat  was  a  tinder-box,  and  with  a  few  materials 
which  they  picked  up  on  shore  they  made  a  fire,  and 
caught  a  few  birds  which  they  dressed. 

On  the  next  day  they  succeeded  in  launching  the 
boat,  and  proceeded  in  her  to  a  cove  at  about  five  miles 
distant,  which  was  nearer  the  vessel.  They  succeeded 
in  reaching  her,  and  getting  out  the  captain's  and  the 
mate's  chests,  landing  them,  and  in  picking  up  a  number 
of  planks.  The  next  day  they  picked  up  a  try-sail,  and 
some  casks  of  bread  which  were  spoilt,  but  a  gale 
coming  on,  prevented  them  from  putting  out  in  the  boat 
to  visit  the  wreck,  as  it  blew  furiously.  The  next  day 
they  saw,  to  their  distress,  that  nothing  was  left  of  her 
but  the  masts,  which  had  become  entangled  by  the  rig- 
ging among  the  rocks,  and  these  soon  disappeared. 
They  then  hauled  the  boat  up,  to  live,  or  rather  to  sleep, 
under  her,  and  this  was  their  only  shelter  for  three 
weeks,  during  which  time  they  subsisted  chiefly  on  birds 
and  the  tongues  and  hearts  of  sea-elephants.  They  had 
got  some  of  their  hunting  implements  on  shore,  and 
were  able  to  kill  this  animal  with  ease,  whenever  they 
caught  it,  and  its  great  importance  to  them  will  appear 
in  the  course  of  the  narrative.  The  weather  was  so 
rainy  and  inclement,  that,  until  the  end  of  three  weeks, 
they  were  unable  to  begin  to  erect  any  commodious 
shelter.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  they  collected 
all  the  timber  they  could  find,  for  the  island  did  not 
produce  a  shrub.  With  a  part  of  these  materials,  and 
some  stones,  at  the  end  of  a  few  weeks  they  completed 
a  house  or  shed.  They  covered  the  top  with  sea-ele- 
phants' skins  to  keep  out  the  rain,  and  the  weather,  at 


206  PRESERVATION    OF    A    PARTY   OF    SEAMEN. 

the  sides,  by  means  of  turf.  They  made  their  beds  of 
a  soft  dry  grass,  with  which  the  island  abounded,  and 
over  this  they  had  coverlets  of  sea-elephants'  skins,  and 
on  the  whole  they  made  their  shelter  tolerable.  Know- 
ing that  it  was  useless  to  repine,  they  soon  organized  a 
settled  course  of  life  in  their  little  community.  Their 
chief  occupation  consisted  in  foraging  for  the  means  of 
subsistence  within  the  limits  of  the  island.  Seals  and 
sea-elephants  were  the  game  which  they  principally 
depended  upon,  and  these  they  daily  went  in  quest  of. 
The  sea-elephant  was  their  grand  main-stay,  for  it 
yielded  not  only  some  parts  fit  for  food,  but  a  large 
quantity  of  blubber,  which  being  mixed  with  dry  grass, 
made  excellent  fuel.  They  likewise  hunted  a  species 
of  sea-fowl  which  settled  on  the  island  to  burrow  and 
lay  eggs  in  the  sand,  and  which  they  seized  without 
any  difficulty.  In  the  mornings  they  ro,se  about  eight 
o'clock  and  breakfasted  on  these  birds,  after  which  they 
went  out  to  hunt,  leaving  one  or  two  behind  to  cook 
dinner.  This  dinner  consisted  generally  of  a  sort  of 
soup  composed  of  sea-elephants'  flippers,  heart,  and 
tongue,  chopped  in  pieces.  They  could  find  no  vege- 
tables on  the  island,  which  produced  nothing  but  grass, 
excepting  a  plant  like  a  cabbage  that  was  extremely 
bitter,  and  this  they  made  use  of  occasionally  to  flavour 
their  soup.  Great  inconveniences  were  at  first  sus- 
tained for  want  of  proper  eating  utensils,  as  there  was 
only  the  large  kettle  in  which  their  soup  was  made. 
They  managed,  however,  to  make  some  wooden  spoons 
for  themselves.  They  next  cut  down  an  old  cask,  and 
with  it  made  a  kind  of  soup  tureen,  out  of  which  they 
all  ate  together. 

Their  last  improvement  was  to  manufacture  a  sort  of 
wooden  trencher  for  themselves,  when  they  ate  compa- 
ratively in  a  superior  style  of  comfort.      In  the  soup 


PRESERVATION    OF    A    PARTY    OF    SEAMEN.  207 

they  sometimes  put  elephant-skin,  which  had  the 
appearance  of  tripe,  but  in  taste  and  substance  it  is 
described  as  of  a  more  "  leathery"  nature.  After 
dinner  some  of  them  went  out  again  to  hunt  for  "  grub," 
some  remaining  at  home,  the  swiftest  runners  being 
chosen  to  hunt  the  seal.  At  "tea-time,"  or  dusk,  they 
returned,  and  partook  of  a  mess  composed  of  penguins' 
eggs  boiled  in  water.  Now  and  then  they  killed  the 
albatross,  which  is  rather  a  strong  bird,  and  roasted  it; 
but  as  young  ones  were  highly  esteemed,  and  as  the 
mariners  daily  began  to  lose  their  hope  of  being 
delivered,  they  were  afraid  to  kill  the  old  birds  lest 
they  should  quit  the  island,  and  in  this  fear  they  per- 
mitted them  to  live  as  "  stand-bys."  For  the  same 
reason  they  spared  the  penguins,  which  supplied  them 
plentifully  with  eggs.  The  young  seals  were  con- 
sidered as  the  greatest  luxury,  but  they,  as  well  as  the 
old  ones,  were  but  too  scarce,  and  their  skins  were  in 
high  request  for  clothes  ;  for,  at  the  end  of  a  few  months, 
from  their  mode  of  life,  their  clothes  gave  way,  and, 
indeed,  the  climate  was  so  cold  and  wet  that  they  were 
not  fit  to  withstand  the  inclemency  of  the  weather.  The 
men  set  to  work  and  made  themselves  clothes  of  the 
seal-skin,  some  using  the  hair  inwards.  They  made  a 
needle  out  of  a  nail.  For  shoes  they  made  themselves 
a  sort  of  socks  or  buskins  of  the  same  material,  and 
they  constructed  various  kinds  of  caps,  which,  as  their 
beards  were  pretty  long,  by  no  means  tended  to  improve 
their  physiognomy. 

We  now  turn  to  the  history  of  the  party  of  eight  men 
who  had  gone  ashore  on  the  first  island  in  the  group, 
and  from  which  they  expected  to  be  taken  up  in  the 
course  of  a  week.  During  the  week,  for  which  they 
possessed  a  sufficiency  of  provisions,  they  pursued  their 
occupation  of  hunting  the  seals,  on  the  low  sandy  shores 


208  PRESERVATION    OF    A   PARTY    OF    SEAMEN. 

and  inlets,  and  gathered  a  large  quantity  of  the  skins  of 
these  animals  to  carry  with  them  on  their  return.  At 
the  end  of  the  week,  however,  the  smack  did  not  make 
its  appearance,  which  perplexed  them  not  a  little ;  but 
their  distress  may  be  conceived  when  they  found  por- 
tions of  the  wreck  driven  ashore  by  the  waves,  giving 
too  certain  evidence  of'  the  destruction  of  their  vessel, 
and,  as  they  feared,  of  the  loss  of  their  comrades.  For 
six  weeks  they  continued  to  watch  the  horizon,  with  a 
lingering  hope  that  a  sail  would  present  itself  to  their 
anxious  gaze,  but  nothing  of  the  kind  appeared,  and  the 
party  then  removed  to  another  quarter  of  the  island 
more  productive  of  animals  for  subsistence.  At  the 
spot  selected,  the  eight  seamen  staid  during  the  winter, 
living  on  seals  and  sea-elephants,  which  they  also 
cooked  by  means  of  the  bluBber.  When  winter  had 
passed  away,  provisions  were  found  to  be  scarce,  and 
there  was  a  necessity  for  seeking  new  quarters.  As  the 
small  boat  was  left  to  them,  they  proposed  to  sail  to 
the  island  lying  at  the  distance  of  ten  miles  where  the 
smack  had  been  wrecked,  and,  putting  this  design  in 
execution,  they  landed,  as  it  happened,  close  by  the 
spot  where  their  wrecked  shipmates  had  built  their 
house,  and  there  they  met,  to  the  great  joy  of  both 
parties.  The  fishing  party  added  to  the  comforts  of  the 
establishment,  by  bringing  with  them  their  kettle,  fry- 
ing-pan, and  some  other  implements,  which  were 
highly  acceptable.  There  was  now  a  more  numerous 
party  to  be  provided  for  on  the  island,  and  consequently 
additional  exertions  were  necessary  for  procuring  food. 
Hunting  the  seal,  the  sea-elephant,  and  various  birds, 
was  kept  up  at  all  times  when  the  weather  permitted  ; 
and  when  storms  of  rain,  snow,  and  wind,  swept  across 
the  island,  and  rendered  it  impossible  for  them  to  move 
out  with  safety,  they  remained  shut  up   in  their  rude 


PRESERVATION    OF    A   PARTY    OF    SEAMEN.  209 

dwelling,  in  which  their  only  mental  solacement  con- 
sisted in  reading  a  Bible  that  had  been  fortunately 
spared  among  the  materials  of  the  wreck.  Influenced 
by  pious  and  rational  sentiments,  they  formed  a  peaceful 
and  orderly  community,  such  as  is  seldom  witnessed 
in  similar  cases  of  extreme  personal  inconvenience  and 
privation.  During  their  sojourn  on  the  island,  there 
were  no  parties  amongst  them;  no  quarrelling,  and 
none  assumed  command,  but  obedience  of  the  best 
kind  existed — namely,  that  produced  by  a  conviction  of 
the  utility  and  propriety  of  the  thing  proposed,  and  a 
mutual  desire  to  be  serviceable.  They  all  gave  their 
utmost  exertions  to  the  execution  of  whatever  was  sug- 
gested by  the  most  experienced,  or  received  the  sanction 
of  the  majority. 

After  they  had  been  together  for  about  three  weeks, 
and  the  prospect  of  deliverance  from  the  dreary  solitude 
getting  every  day  more  remote,  it  was  proposed  to  con- 
struct a  vessel  with  the  timber  of  the  wreck,  and  the 
materials  of  which  the  house  was  built.  There  were 
the  remains  of  a  hut  built  on  the  other  island  by  some 
Americans  who  visited  it  some  years  before,  when  seals 
were  more  plentiful.  With  these,  and  what  had  been 
saved  from  the  wreck,  the  carpenter  reported  that  a 
vessel  might  be  built,  and  they  set  to  work  upon  that 
object  immediately.  The  sails  were  to  be  made  of  seal- 
skins sewed  together,  and  a  party,  consisting  of  eleven, 
went  to  the  first  island  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  and 
preparing  them,  and  digging  up  the  timber  which  had 
been  used  for  the  house.  The  collection  and  prepara- 
tion of  the  skins  took  three  weeks,  and  in  a  week  more 
they  collected  all  the  timber  for  the  building  of  the 
vessel.  From  the  state  of  their  provisions  it  was  found 
convenient  that  five  of  their  number  should  return  and 
stay  at  the  other  island,  as  there  were  not  provisions 


210  PRESERVATION    OF    A    PARTY   OF    SEAMEN. 

sufficient  for  the  subsistence  of  all  at  the  island  where 
the  house  was  built.  This  party,  therefore,  having 
received  a  proportionate  share  of  the  utensils,  namely, 
one  kettle,  and  the  bottom  of  an  old  one,  which  was  used 
as  a  frying-pan,  they  set  off.  Those  who  remained,  in 
order  that  they  might  apply  the  timber  used  in  con- 
structing the  old  house  to  the  building  of  their  vessel, 
set  to  work  to  build  a  new  habitation,  which  they  formed 
chiefly  of  stones  and  turf.  This  house  appears  to  have 
been  an  improvement  on  the  first,  inasmuch  as  it  had 
the  luxury  of  three  chimneys,  which,  however,  either 
would  not  draw,  or  were  insufficient,  as  the  inmates 
were  obliged  to  cut  a  hole  in  the  gable  end  to  let  out  the 
smoke.  At  this  time  they  used  the  elephants'  bones, 
with  the  blubber  as  fuel,  the  fumes  from  which  were  by 
no  means  agreeable.  Having  finished  this,  they  shifted 
their  things  into  it,  tore  down  the  first,  and  then  cleared 
the  place  where  it  stood  for  the  purpose  of  building  the 
vessel  upon  it.  They  laid  the  keel,  made  from  the  top- 
mast of  the  wreck,  to  erect  a  vessel  whose  keel  should 
be  twenty-nine  feet,  and  built  like  a  lugger,  and  of  about 
four  feet  and  a  half  high.  It  was  calculated  that  she 
would  be  about  twelve  tons  burden.  They  worked  at 
it  with  assiduity,  animated  by  the  hope  of  delivering 
themselves.  Their  history  of  their  various  expedients 
to  supply  the  place  of  regular  tools  and  materials,  though 
unintelligible  to  the  general  reader,  would  be  highly 
interesting  to  nautical  men.  At  the  end  of  five  months 
they  had  completed  her  with  her  seal-skin  sails,  and 
they  set  off  to  the  other  island  to  fetch  the  other  five 
men,  that  they  might  assist  in  the  launch. 
^  Nearly  two  years  had  passed  since  they  were  wrecked 
— a  time  which,  as  marked  by  their  privations  and 
anxieties,  appeared  as  long  as  their  lives.  The  five  men 
who  were  on  this  first  island  were  dispersed  in  search 


PRESERVATION   OF   A    PARTY   OF    SEAMEN.  211 

of  food,  and  the  larger  party  were  obliged  to  go  in  pur- 
suit of  them.  On  the  next  day  after  their  arrival,  a  gale 
sprang  up,  and  their  boat  was  driven  about  seventy 
yards  from  where  she  was  made  fast,  and  her  stern 
knocked  to  pieces.  This  was  a  fearful  disaster,  which 
threw  the  party  into  dismay,  yet,  out  of  evil,  good 
sometimes  comes.  The  day  being  fine,  an  old  man,  one 
of  the  sailors,  was  sent  to  a  mountainous  point  to  try  if 
he  could  discover  their  comrades,  and  he  had  not  been 
long  gone  ere  he  returned  in  a  bewildered  breathless 
state.  When  able  to  speak,  he  informed  them  that  he 
had  seen  a  vessel  standing  in  towards  the  shore.  This 
none  of  them  would  believe,  and  all  said  it  must  be  a 
bird  sitting  on  the  water,  an  object  which  had  often  de- 
ceived their  hopes.  The  man,  however,  was  convinced 
that  he  was  not  mistaken,  and  asked  who  would  go  with 
him  to  see  the  vessel,  when  one  offered  to  go  with  him, 
and  ascertain  the  fact;  and  a  tinder-box  was  given  to 
them  that  they  might,  if  it  were  true,  make  a  fire  to  show 
those  on  board  that  there  were  human  beings  on  the  island. 
To  their  indescribable  joy,  these  two  men,  on  getting  to 
the  place  where  she  was  first  discovered,  saw  a  schooner 
standing  along  shore,  and,  from  the  carcass  of  a  sea-ele- 
phant, just  killed,  and  other  traces,  perceived  that  the 
crew  must  have  been  on  shore.  They  then  sought  and 
killed  one  of  those  animals,  and  with  its  blubber  they 
soon  made  a  fire  on  the  promontory,  that  evidently 
caught  the  attention  of  the  schooner,  as  a  boat  was  seen 
to  proceed  from  her  towards  the  shore.  The  men  ran 
down  eagerly  to  meet  her,  but  when  the  boat  got  near 
the  shore,  the  crew  evidently  hesitated,  on  seeing  the 
two  men,  whose  appearance  must  certainly  have  been 
of  a  dubious  nature.  They  were  naked  with  the  excep- 
tion of  their  rough  brown  fur  jackets,  as  they  had  thrown 
off  their  skin  trousers,  which  were  exceedingly  thick 


212     PRESERVATION  OF  A  PARTY  OF  SEAMEN. 

and  heavy,  for  the  convenience  of  running.  They,  how- 
ever, hailed  the  crew  in  a  manner  which  proved  them 
to  be  civilized  beings,  and  they  were  taken  on  board. 
The  vessel  turned  out  to  be  an  American  schooner, 
which  had  come  for  the  purpose  of  sealing  and  trading 
in  those  seas.  The  captain  received  them  kindly,  and 
gave  them  shirts  and  trousers.  It  was  sunset  when 
they  were  taken  on  board,  and  the  next  day  the  captain 
and  the  remaining  party  were  fetched.  They  proceeded 
in  search  of  the  other  party,  who  descried  the  vessel 
with  a  degree  of  joy  equal  to  that  of  the  first  man  who 
saw  it,  and  on  the  boat  approaching  the  shore,  hailed  it 
with  three  cheers,  which  were  returned  by  their  com- 
rades on  board.  Those  on  shore  were  so  overjoyed  that 
they  did  not  wait  for  her  coming  to  the  shore,  but  rushed 
into  the  water  to  haul  her  up.  They  were  all  taken  on 
board.  They  assisted  the  schooner  in  loading,  and  after 
taking  all  their  things  on  board,  she  sailed  for  her  des- 
tination, the  Isle  of  France. 

Although  thus  rescued  from  a  desert  island,  the  mis- 
fortunes of  the  party  were  not  terminated.  On  the  way 
to  the  Isle  of  France,  the  mate  of  the  smack  had  a  dis- 
agreement with  the  American  captain,  and  he  and  his 
companions,  three  excepted,  were  at  their  own  desire 
put  ashore  on  the  island  of  St.  Paul,  where  there  are 
plenty  of  wild  pigs  and  provisions  such  as  the  mariners 
had  been  lately  used  to,  and  which  island  is  in  the 
track  of  the  vessels  trading  in  the  direction  of  the  Mau- 
ritius. Here  they  intended  to  wait  till  picked  up  by  a 
vessel  in  passing,  of  which  they  had  no  apprehensions. 
Of  their  fate  no  further  account  is  given,  though  there  is 
little  doubt  that  they  soon  after  reached  England  by 
some  trading  vessel.  The  three  men  that  preferred 
going  on  with  the  American  schooner,  were  landed  at 
the  Isle  of  France,  whence  they  found  their  way  to  the 


THE    ICEBERG.  213 

Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  from  that  they  returned  to 
London  in  the  Lord  Exmouth,  in  a  most  destitute  con- 
dition, but  in  good  health,  notwithstanding  the  straits 
and  miseries  they  had  undergone. 


THE   ICEBERG. 

'Twas  night — our  anchored  vessel  slept 

Out  on  the  glassy  sea ; 
And  still  as  heaven  the  waters  kept, 

And  golden  bright — as  he, 
The  setting  sun,  went  sinking  slow 

Beneath  the  eternal  wave  ; 
And  the  ocean  seemed  a  pall  to  throw 

Over  the  monarch's  grave. 

There  was  no  motion  of  the  air 

To  raise  the  sleeper's  tress, 
And  no  wave-building  winds  were  there, 

On  ocean's  loveliness ; 
But  ocean  mingled  with  the  sky 

With  such  an  equal  hue, 
That  vainly  strove  the  'wildered  eye 

To  part  their  gold  and  blue. 

And  ne'er  a  ripple  of  the  sea 

Came  on  our  steady  gaze, 
Save  when  some  timorous  fish  stole  out 

To  bathe  in  the  woven  blaze, — 
When,  floating  in  the  light  that  played 

All  over  the  resting  main, 
He  would  sink  beneath  the  wave,  and  dart 

To  his  deep,  blue  home  again. 


214  THE    ICEBERG. 

Yet,  while  we  gazed,  that  sunny  eve, 

Across  the  twinkling  deep, 
A  form  came  ploughing  the  golden  wave, 

And  rending  its  holy  sleep  ; 
It  blushed  bright  red,  while  growing  on 

Our  fixed,  half  fearful  gaze ; 
But  it  wandered  down,  with  its  glow  of  light, 

And  its  robe  of  sunny  rays. 

It  seemed  like  molten  silver,  thrown 

Together  in  floating  flame  ; 
And  as  we  looked,  we  named  it,  then, 

The  font  whence  all  colours  came : 
There  were  rainbows  furled  with  a  careless  grace, 

And  the  brightest  red  that  glows  ; 
The  purple  amethyst  there  had  place, 

And  the  hues  of  a  full-blown  rose. 

And  the  vivid  green,  as  the  sun-lit  grass 

Where  the  pleasant  rain  hath  been ; 
And  the  ideal  hues,  that,  thought-like,  pass 

Through  the  minds  of  fanciful  men; 
They  beamed  full  clear — and  that  form  moved  on, 

Like  one  from  a  burning  grave ; 
And  we  dared  not  think  it  a  real  thing, 

But  for  the  rustling  wave. 

The  sun  just  lingered  in  our  view, 

From  the  burning  edge  of  ocean, 
When  by  our  bark  that  bright  one  passed 

With  a  deep,  disturbing  motion: 
The  far  down  waters  shrank  away, 

With  a  gurgling  rush  upheaving, 
And  the  lifted  waves  grew  pale  and  sad, 

Their  mother's  bosom  leaving. 


OVERFLOW  OF  THE  DRANSE.  215 

Yet,  as  it  passed  our  bending  stem, 

In  its  throne-like  glory  going, 
It  crushed  on  a  hidden  rock  and  turned 

Like  an  empire's  overthrowing. 
The  uptorn  waves  rolled  hoar, — and  huge, 

The  far-thrown  undulations 
Swelled  out  in  the  sun's  last  lingering  smile, 

And  fell  like  battling  nations. 

J.  O.  Rockwell. 


OVERFLOW  OF  THE  DRANSE. 

A  new  work  by  Captain  Basil  Hall  has  just  appeared,  under  the  sin- 
gular but  appropriate  name  of  "Patchwork."  It  consists  of  snatches 
of  recollection  of  all  kinds  of  things,  but  more  particularly  of  foreign 
travel  and  adventure,  written  in  that  lively  and  agreeable  style 
which  has  made  his  previous  writings  so  popular.  The  work  may 
be  said  to  open  with  a  description  of  the  bursting  of  the  pent-up 
waters  of  the  Dranse,  and  of  the  deplorable  catastrophe  which 
thereupon  ensued.  The  particulars  have  been  a  hundred  times 
recorded,  but  never  more  truly  or  pleasantly. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  scene  of  desolation  caused 
by  the  great  debacle  at  Martigny.  More  than  two- 
and-  twenty  years  have  elapsed  since  I  looked  over  the 
melancholy  waste — and  though  I  have  become  tolerably 
familiar  with  the  operation  of  seas  and  floods  in  other 
regions  in  the  interval,  I  must  own  that  it  was  only  in 
an  Alpine  valley  that  I  ever  witnessed  the  full  power  of 
moving  water,  and  thence  learned  duly  to  respect  it  as 
an  agent  in  the  geological  history  of  the  earth's  surface. 
The  Val  de  Bagnes  is  a  steep,  narrow,  rugged,  valley, 
or  more  properly  rocky  glen,  running  for  about  thirty  or 
forty  miles  in  a  direction  nearly  east  and  west  among 


216  OVERFLOW    OF   THE    DRANSE. 

those  mountains  lying  on  the  the  south  side  of  Valais, 
and  forming  a  part  of  the  great  Alpine  ridge  which 
divides  Switzerland  from  Piedmont.  This  ridge  is 
elevated  to  that  height  which  secures  for  it  a  coating 
of  eternal  snow,  and  consequently  it  sends  down  on  all 
sides,  wherever  the  slope  and  form  of  the  ground  are 
suitable,  those  well-known  huge  frozen  masses  called 
glaciers. 

Near  a  place  called  St.  Branchier  the  Val  de  Bagnes 
takes  a  rectangular  turn,  and  after  passing  in  its  new 
course  for  two  or  three  miles  amongst  the  hills,  opens 
into  the  great  valley  of  the  Rhone  at  Martigny.  The 
river  Dranse,  which  has  its  origin  in  the  two  glaciers  of 
Chermontane  and  Mont  Durand,  lying  at  the  very  top 
of  the  glen,  flows  along  the  Val  de  Bagnes,  till  at  Mar- 
tigny it  meets  the  Rhone,  of  which  it  is  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal feeders.  The  banks  of  this  river,  or,  to  speak  more 
properly,  of  this  mountain- torrent,  are  at  most  places 
precipitous.  But  the  ground,  occasionally  becoming  less 
steep,  admits  of  the  formation  of  soil,  and  this,  even  if 
it  be  too  steep  for  the  purposes  of  agriculture,  is  richly 
clad  with  the  larch,  a  tree  which  loves  to  root  itself  in 
such  commanding  positions.  Thus,  wherever  it  is  pos- 
sible for  the  foot  of  a  man  to  plant  itself,  little  villages 
start  up,  enriched  by  gardens,  and  decked  by  the  church 
steeple,  which  never  fails  to  meet  the  eye  in  a  Swiss 
community,  however  small,  or  however  poor,  or,  I  may 
add,  however  exposed  it  may  occasionally  be  to  the 
ravages  of  such  a  debacle  as  swept  out  the  poor  valley 
of  the  Dranse  in  1818. 

For  several  years  previous  to  the  time  I  am  speaking 
of  (1818),  the  Dranse  had  been  occasionally,  but  not 
seriously,  obstructed  by  blocks  of  ice  and  avalanches  of 
snow  from  the  slowly-advancing  glacier.  These,  in  pro- 
cess of  time,  became  so  frequent  and  so  extensive,  that 


OVERFLOW  OF  THE  DRANSE.  217 

they  began  to  resist  the  melting  power  of  the  summer;  and 
eventually  the  glacier  itself,  having  joined  company 
with  the  enormous  pile  of  fragments  it  had  sent  before 
it,  pushed  itself  directly  across  the  narrow  valley,  so  as 
to  rest  its  snout  or  base  on  the  foot  of  the  opposite 
mountain,  called  Mauvoisin,  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Dranse,  while  its  upper  part  lay  several  hundred  feet 
above  the  bed  of  the  stream,  on  the  other  side.  This 
was  the  state  of  affairs  in  April  1818,  and  there  would 
have  been  no  harm  in  it  had  the  barrier  been  of  rocky 
materials,  as  frequently  happens  in  the  Alpine  valleys. 
As  it  was,  the  danger  became  greater  and  greater  every 
moment;  and  the  experienced  Swiss,  now  fully  awa- 
kened to  their  danger,  saw  that  unless  they  adopted  some 
very  prompt  and  energetic  measures,  the  weight  of  the 
accumulated  waters  would,  ere  long,  become  too  great 
for  the  strength  of  the  dam  of  ice,  and  the  whole  reser- 
voir would  be  dashed  at  once  down  the  ravine,  to  the 
destruction  of  all  the  villages,  fields,  bridges,  and  mills. 
An  able  engineer,  of  the  name  of  Venetz,  who  lived 
in  the  Valais,  not  far  from  Martigny,  at  once  perceived 
that  although  the  evil  might  not,  perhaps,  be  entirely 
averted,  it  might  be  essentially  lessened.  He  saw 
clearly  that  it  was  impossible  to  diminish  the  present 
magnitude  of  the  lake  formed  by  the  glacier  of  Getroz, 
but  he  thought  it  might  be  prevented  from  rising  above 
a  certain  level,  if  a  gallery,  or  tunnel,  could  be  cut 
through  the  barrier  of  ice  at  such  a  height  above  the 
level  of  the  lake  as  would  enable  the  work  to  be  finished 
before  the  water  should  rise  to  that  point.  This  required 
not  only  a  very  nice  calculation,  but  a  degree  of  vigour 
and  activity  in  the  execution  which  it  might  be  dim- 
cult  to  match  in  any  other  country.  The  drift  or  gallery 
which  M.  Venetz  proposed  to  bore  through  the  glacier, 
for  the  purpose  of  acting  as  a  waste  weir  to  the  lake, 
15 


218  OVERFLOW  OF  THE  DRANSE. 

was  made  to  slope  downwards,  in  such  a  way  that  when 
the  water  rose  to  its  upper  end  it  should  flow  so  rapidly 
through  that  it  might  act  like  a  saw,  and  hy  cutting 
down  the  ice  of  the  glacier,  permit  the  lake  gradually  to 
descend,  till  it  was  nearly  emptied,  and  the  mass  of 
water  be  prevented  from  becoming  an  overmatch  for  the 
retaining  wall  of  ice  and  snow  as  it  was  certain  to  prove, 
sooner  or  later,  if  things  were  left  alone. 

This  bold  manoeuvre  so  far  succeeded,  that,  in  the  course  of  a  few- 
days,  the  depth  of  the  lake  was  depressed  forty-five  feet ;  but  after 
the  force  of  the  water  had  eroded  the  whole  of  the  ice,  it  attacked 
the  soft  and  friable  materials  on  which  the  barrier  rested,  making  a 
passage  for  itself  between  the  glacier  and  the  rocky  bed  of  the  moun- 
tain. When  the  water  rushed  out  through  this  outlet,  the  ice  gave 
way  with  a  tremendous  crash,  and  the  entire  mass  from  above  was 
precipitated  into  the  valley  beneath,  carrying  with  it  man  and  his 
works,  and  spreading  ruin  and  desolation  over  the  whole  tract.  The 
narrative  thus  goes  on : — 

I  arrived  at  Martignay  on  the  5th  of  August,  just 
seven  weeks  after  the  catastrophe  above  described. 
Many  of  the  houses  had  been  swept  away,  and  all  the 
remaining  habitations  gave  token  of  having  been  in- 
vaded by  the  flood,  which,  even  at  the  lower  extremity 
of  the  town,  where  the  valley  is  widest,  had  risen  to  the 
height  of  ten  feet,  as  we  could  remark  by  the  traces 
left  on  the  walls.  Higher  up  the  torrent  had  been  much 
deeper ;  and  the  inhabitants  pointed  out  to  us  the  man- 
ner in  which  a  considerable  district  of  houses  had  been 
saved  from  destruction  by  the  intervention  of  the  vil- 
lage church,  a  compact  stone  building  placed — perhaps 
not  accidentally — with  one  of  its  corners  directed  to- 
wards the  adjacent  gorge,  out  of  which  the  overcharged 
torrent  of  the  Dranse  burst  with  such  violence  on  the 
16th  of  June.  Had  the  side  or  end  of  the  church  faced 
the  stream,  it  is  supposed  that  not  only  it  must  have 


OVERFLOW   OF    THE    DRANSE.  219 

given  way,  but,  in  its  train,  all  that  quarter  of  the  vil- 
lage would  have  been  overwhelmed.  The  strong  nature 
of  the  angle  of  the  church,  however,  seems  to  have 
divided  the  waters;  and  as  the  valley  at  this  point 
begins  to  spread  itself  out,  the  stream  readily  obeyed 
the  new  direction  given  to  it,  and  flowed  to  the  right 
and  left.  With  some  difficulty  we  made  our  way  into 
the  church,  which  was  nearly  half  full  of  sand,  mud, 
and  stones,  brought  there  by  the  flood.  The  pulpit  just 
peeped  above  the  mass  of  rubbish,  but  the  altar  was  no 
longer  visible,  being  quite  buried  under  the  mud.  This 
very  substantial  building,  indeed,  had  acted  its  part  so 
firmly  in  the  hour  of  need,  that  the  old  man  who  acted 
as  our  guide,  patted  the  wall  familiarly  with  his  hand, 
saying,  "  The  church  was,  and  is,  after  all,  our  chief 
reliance  in  the  hour  of  danger !"  something  figurative, 
perhaps,  mingling  with  the  poetical  sentiment.  All  the 
hedges,  garden-walls,  and  other  boundary  lines  and 
land-marks  of  every  description,  were  of  course  oblite- 
rated, under  one  uniform  mass  of  detritus  which  had 
levelled  all  distinctions  in  a  truly  sweeping  and  demo- 
cratic confusion.  In  every  house,  without  exception, 
there  lay  a  stratum  of  alluvial  matter  several  feet  in 
thickness,  so  deposited  that  passages  were  obliged  to  be 
cut  through  it,  along  the  streets,  as  we  see  roads  cut  in 
the  snow  after  a  storm.  On  that  side  of  every  building 
which  faced  up  the  valley,  and  consequently  against 
which  the  stream  was  directed,  there  had  been  collected 
a  pile  of  large  stones  under  all,  then  a  layer  of  trees, 
with  their  tattered  branches  lying  one  way,  and  their 
roots  the  other.  Next  came  a  net  work  of  timber-beams, 
of  houses,  broken  doors,  fragments  of  mill-wheels,  shafts 
of  carts,  handles  of  ploughs,  and  all  the  wreck  and  ruin 
of  the  numerous  villages  which  the  debacle  had  first 
torn  to  pieces,  and  then  swept  down  the  valley  in  one 


220  PASS    OF    THE    GEMMI. 

undistinguishable  mass.  The  lower  part  of  the  bark  had 
been  completely  stripped  off  all  the  trees  still  standing, 
each  one  being  charged  on  the  side  next  the  torrent  with 
a  singlar  accumulation  of  rubbish,  consisting  chiefly  of 
uprooted  trees,  and  those  wooden  portions  of  the  build- 
ings which  were  bolted  together.  I  ought  to  mention, 
also,  that  from  every  house,  and  behind  every  tree,  cir- 
cumstanced as  I  have  described,  there  extended  down 
the  valley  a  long  tail  or  train  of  diluvial  rubbish,  de- 
posited in  the  swirl,  or,  as  a  sailor  would  say,  in  the 
eddy,  under  the  lee  of  these  obstacles.  All  over  the 
plain,  large  boulders  or  erratic  blocks  lay  thickly  strewed. 
No  one,  till  he  sees  it,  can  form  any  just  conception  what 
the  power  of  moving  water  is,  especially  when  confined 
between  two  precipitous  banks,  accumulated  to  the 
height  of  fifty  or  sixty  feet,  and  flowing  along  a  bed  of 
such  steepness,  that  even  in  ordinary  states  of  supply 
the  stream  acquires  the  character  of  a  foaming  torrent. 
I  well  remember,  even  at  the  distance  of  twenty-two 
years,  the  awe  and  wonder  with  which  I  looked  at  one 
of  the  masses  of  rock  pointed  out  to  me,  which  the 
stream  in  question  had  evidently  projected  fairly  out  of 
the  gorge  into  the  plain.  It  measured  twenty-seven 
paces  round,  twelve  feet  in  height,  and  twelve  across  in 
one  direction,  which  I  fixed  upon  as  about  the  average. 
It  was  of  a  rude  pyramidical  shape.  Further  up  the  glen, 
I  came  to  many  rocks,  which,  though  much  larger  than 
the  one  I  mentioned,  bore  indubitable  marks  of  having 
been  in  motion. 

A  scene  not  often  visited  by  ordinary  travellers  is  the 
PASS    OF    THE    GEMMI. 

Next  morning  at  half-past  five  we  commenced  our 
preparations  for  ascending  the  pass  of  the  Gemmi,  un- 
questionably one  of  the  most  curious  artificial  roads  in 


PASS    OF    THE    GEMMI.  221 

Switzerland.  The  fine  weather,  which  had  favoured  us 
so  much  during  our  tour  of  Mont  Blanc,  seemed  so  com- 
pletely gone  that  the  people  of  the  hotel  endeavoured  to 
dissuade  us  from  attempting  the  Gemmi  pass  in  such 
weather.  But  we  were  resolved  to  proceed,  and  away 
we  went.  Unfortunately  for  me,  I  could  not.  walk  a 
single  step,  having  hurt  my  foot  when  scrambling  the 
day  before  along  the  scene  of  the  great  debacle,  extend- 
ing from  St.  Branchier  to  Martigny.  In  this  dilemma, 
the  landlord  declared  that  I  might  ride  up  the  pass,  and 
be  carried  down  again  in  a  chair  on  men's  shoulders.  I 
agreed  to  anything  rather  than  miss  the  sight,  and  after 
a  hearty  breakfast  proceeded.  We  soon  reached  the 
base  of  the  mountain,  but  though  the  clouds  cleared 
away  from  time  to  time,  we  could  see  nothing  in  the 
least  degree  like  a  pass  or  road  of  any  kind.  No  valley 
or  ravine  appeared  to  afford  an  opening  through  the 
mountain,  the  face  of  which,  on  approaching  still  nearer, 
we  discovered  to  be  not  merely  steep  but  actually  per- 
pendicular, and  in  some  places  even  overhanging,  in 
cliffs  of  six  and  seven  hundred  feet  high  !  At  the  foot 
of  this  sheer  precipice  there  lay,  as  usual,  in  such  places, 
a  sloping  talus,  as  it  is  called,  of  fragments  of  the  rock 
detached  from  the  upper  strata.  We  had  to  make  our 
way  up  this  bank  along  a  road  much  steeper  than  any- 
thing we  had  yet  encountered.  But  this  was  nothing 
at  all  to  what  we  came  to  on  reaching  the  abrupt  face 
of  the  cliff,  where,  to  our  great  surprise,  we  found  the 
road — even  now  scarcely  visible — actually  cut  into  the 
perpendicular  wall  of  the  mountain,  and  leading  by  a 
series  of  zigzags  up  to  the  very  top.  As  these  open 
galleries  are  excavated  in  the  living  rock  only  to  the 
depth  of  five  or  six  feet, — and  as  in  many  places  no 
parapet  has  been  left  on  the  outer  side,  while  the  plane 
of  the  road  instead  of  sloping  inwards,  rather  inclines 


222  PASS    OF    THE    GEMMI. 

outwards — it  is  not  in  the  imagination  to  conceive  any- 
thing more  terrific.  Even  to  a  person  on  foot,  it  must 
require  him  to  possess  no  small  steadiness  to  retain  his 
composure ;  but  if  mounted,  he  must  have  a  head  well 
practised  in  going  aloft  not  to  feel  very  uneasy.  I  found 
my  early  nautical  habits  barely  sufficient  to  keep  me 
from  becoming  giddy,  as  the  mule — the  perversest 
brute  in  Switzerland — insisted  upon  pacing  along  the 
outer  edge  of  the  precipice,  instead  of  hugging  the  inner 
wall,  as  I  wished  it  to  do.  In  actual  fear  of  my  neck, 
I  got  off  several  times ;  but  my  foot  had  been  so  badly- 
chafed  in  the  Val  de  Bagnes,  I  could  not  get  along,  and 
was  obliged  to  remount  and  take  my  chance,  my  only 
consolation  being  to  recall  as  many  stories  as  I  could 
muster  of  the  proverbial  sure-footedness  of  the  Swiss 
mules.  We  had  ascended  but  a  little  way  before  we 
entered  the  clouds,  which  hung  low  on  the  mountains. 
But  this  obscurity — for  we  lost  sight  of  the  abyss  below 
and  the  cliffs  above — added  considerably  to  the  feeling 
of  danger,  to  say  nothing  of  the  discomfort  of  a  drizzling 
rain.  By-and-by  the  rain  became  sleet,  and  before  we 
reached  the  top  it  turned  to  snow.  As  the  thermometer 
stood  only  a  few  degrees  below  the  freezing  point,  the 
cold  might  have  been  tolerable  had  it  been  calm,  but  it 
blew  so  fiercely,  that  the  chill  pierced  us  to  the  very 
bone.  This,  no  doubt,  was  partly  owing  to  the  actual 
severity  of  the  weather,  but  partly  to  the  contrast  be- 
tween the  temperature  we  now  experienced,  and  that  in 
which  we  had  been  basking  for  the  preceding  fortnight. 
At  the  top  of  the  mountain,  all  Nature  lay  before  us 
bare  and  bleak.  The  cold,  black,  dripping,  unpicturesque 
rocks,  showed  themselves  every  now  and  then  as  the 
clouds  flew  past.  Here  and  there  the  ground  was 
dusted  with  the  cutting  snow,  blown,  in  our  faces  as  we 
passed  on  to  the  gloomy  lake  of  Daube,  the  waters  of 


PASS    OF    THE    GEMMI.  223 

which — not  less  black  than  ink — lashed  themselves 
into  a  dirty  foam  against,  the  base  of  some  dreary  cliffs, 
of  which  the  tops  were  covered  with  glaciers.  It  must 
certainly  have  been  to  some  such  hopeless  spot  as  this, 
on  the  top  of  the  Caucasus,  that  the  magician  in  the 
Arabian  Nights  carried  his  victims ;  and  right  glad  we 
were  when  our  despotic  guide,  for  once  fairly  beaten 
back,  made  the  signal  to  put  about.  But  if  going  up 
the  Gemmi  on  the  back  of  a  mule  be  a  nervous  affair, 
the  operation  of  coming  down  is  so  much  worse,  that  to 
the  last  day  of  my  life  I  shall  remember  the  awkward- 
ness of  such  a  predicament.  As  I  could  not  have 
walked  ten  paces  to  save  my  life,  I  was  obliged  to  risk 
my  neck  by  allowing  myself  to  be  perched  in  an  arm- 
chair, and  hoisted  on  the  shoulders,  not  of  four,  but  of 
two  men,  in  a  manner  contrary  to  all  the  laws  of  stable 
equilibrium,  for  the  soles  of  my  feet  came  on  a  level 
with  their  necks.  Nevertheless,  though  loaded  with 
this  ill-arranged  top-weight,  the  fellows  trudged  down 
the  path  at  a  quick,  careless,  swinging  sort  of  pace, 
keeping  time  to  the  "  Ranz  des  Vaches,"  which  one  or 
other  of  the  bearers  sung  all  the  way  from  the  top  to  the 
bottom  of  the  pass.  The  light-hearted  peasants,  singing 
and  laughing  as  they  trudged  along,  swung  me  round 
over  their  heads,  as  we  turned  the  horrid  corners,  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  show  me  the  fearful  abyss  below, 
into  which  the  least  slip,  or  one  false  step,  or  the  giving 
way  of  the  slightest  particle  of  the  edge  of  the  road, 
would  have  tumbled  us  all  headlong!  I  had  no  time  to 
study  the  picturesque  of  the  prospect  which  gradually 
reopened  upon  us,  in  proportion  as  we  left  the  dense 
clouds  of  the  upper  districts  of  this  singular  pass  :  in- 
deed I  could  think  of  nothing  but  a  most  unfortunately 
ominous  expression  used  by  the  landlord  the  evening 
before,  when  he  and  I  were  discussing  together  the 
various  modes   of  making  the  excursion.     As  I  could 


224  WATERLOO. 

not  walk,  and  still  less  relished  the  notion  of  being  car- 
ried on  men's  shoulders,  I  had  asked  if  I  could  not  ride 
down  as  well  as  up  the  pass,  for  that  nothing,  it  was 
said,  could  be  more  uncomfortable  than  being  elevated 
to  such  an  unsteady  position  in  such  a  place.  "  Ilfaut 
avouer,  monsieur"  said  he,  "  que  cette  maniere  de  voy- 
ager n'est  pas  agreable — mats  on  y  risque  moins  /"  The 
words  "  risque  moins"  rung  in  my  ears :  and  as  the  im- 
plied insecurity  of  the  expression  stared  me  in  the  face 
at  the  terrible  turnings  of  the  road,  I  tried  the  experi- 
ment of  shutting  my  eyes ;  but  almost  before  I  was 
aware  of  it,  this  made  me  so  giddy  and  sea-sick,  that  I 
had  nearly  lost  the  equilibrium  which  my  bearers  were 
very  urgent  in  requiring  me  to  maintain,  for  my  own 
safety  as  well  as  theirs,  and  I  was  obliged  during  the 
rest  of  the  descent  to  face  the  peril  as  well  as  I  might. 


WATERLOO. 

There  was  a  sound  of  revelry  by  night, 
And  Belgium's  capital  had  gathered  then 
Her  beauty  and  her  chivalry,  and  bright 
The  lamps  shone  o'er  fair  women  and  brave  men. 
A  thousand  hearts  beat  happily;  and  when 
Music  arose  with  its  voluptuous  swell, 
Soft  eyes  looked  love  to  eyes  which  spake  again, 
And  all  went  merry  as  a  marriage  bell ; 
But,  hush!  hark!  a  deep  sound  strikes  like  a  rising  knell. 

Did  ye  not  hear  if? — No;  'twas  but  the  wind, 

Or  the  car  rattling  o'er  the  stony  street; 

On  with  the  dance!  let  joy  be  unconfined; 

No  sleep  till  morn,  when  youth  and  pleasure  meet, 

To  chase  the  glowing  hours  with  flying  feet — 


WATERLOO.  225 

But,  hark !  that  heavy  sound  breaks  in  once  more, 
As  if  the  clouds  its  echo  could  repeat; 
And  nearer,  clearer,  deadlier  than  before ! 
Arm  !  arm  !  it  is — it  is — the  cannon's  opening  roar! 

Within  a  windowed  niche  of  that  high  hall 
Sat  Brunswick's  fated  chieftain ;  he  did  hear 
That  sound  the  first  amidst  the  festival, 
And  caught  its  tone  with  death's  prophetic  ear; 
And  when  they  smiled  because  he  deemed  it  near, 
His  heart  more  truly  knew  that  peal  too  well, 
Which  stretched  his  father  on  a  bloody  bier, 
And  roused  the  vengeance  blood  alone  could  quell ; 
He  rushed  into  the  field,  and,  foremost  fighting,  fell. 

Ah  !  then  and  there  was  hurrying  to  and  fro, 
And  gathering  tears,  and  tremblings  of  distress, 
And  cheeks  all  pale,  which  but  an  hour  ago 
Blushed  at  the  praise  of  their  own  loveliness; 
And  there  were  sudden  partings,  such  as  press 
The  life  from  out  young  hearts  and  choking  sighs 
Which  ne'er  might  be  repeated;  who  could  guess 
If  ever  more  should  meet  those  mutual  eyes, 
Since  upon  night  so  sweet,  such  awful  morn  could  rise  * 

And  there  was  mounting  in  hot  haste;  the  steed, 
The  mustering  squadron,  and  the  clattering  car, 
Went  pouring  forward  with  impetuous  speed, 
And  swiftly  forming  in  the  ranks  of  war; 
And  the  deep  thunder  peal  on  peal  afar, 
And  near  the  beat  of  the  alarming  drum 
Roused  up  the  soldier  ere  the  morning  star ; 
While  thronged  the  citizens  wilh  terror  dumb, 
Or  whispering  with  white  lips — u  The  foe !  They  come! 
They  come !" 


226  WATERLOO. 

And  wild  and  high  the  "Cameron's  gathering"  rose! 
The  war-note  of  Lochiel,  which  Albyn's  hills 
Have  heard,  and  heard,  too,  have  her  Saxon  foes  : — 
How  in  the  noon  of  night  that  pibroch  thrills, 
Savage  and  shrill ,  but  with  the  breath  which  fills 
Their  mountain  pipe,  so  fill  the  mountaineers 
With  the  fierce  native  daring  which  instils 
The  stirring  memory  of  a  thousand  years, 
And  Evan's,  Donald's  fame  rings  in  each  clansman's 
ears. 

And  Ardennes  waves  above  them  her  green  leaves, 
Dewy  with  Nature's  tear-drops,  as  they  pass, 
Grieving,  if  aught  inanimate  e'er  grieves, 
Over  the  unreturning  brave, — alas ! 
Ere  evening  to  be  trodden  like  the  grass 
Which  now  beneath  them,  but  above  shall  grow 
In  its  next  verdure,  when  this  fiery  mass 
Of  living  valour,  rolling  on  the  foe, 
And  burning  with  high  hope,  shall  moulder  cold  and 
low  ! 

Last  noon  beheld  them  full  of  lusty  life, 
Last  eve  in  beauty's  circle  proudly  gay, 
The  midnight  brought  the  signal  sound  of  strife 
The  morn,  the  marshalling  in  arms, — the  day, 
Battle's  magnificently  stern  array  ! 
The  thunder  clouds  close  o'er  it,  which,  when  rent, 
The  earth  is  covered  thick  with  other  clay, 
Which  her  own  clay  shall  cover,  heaped  and  pent, 
Rider  and  horse, — friend,  foe, — in  one  red  burial  blent. 

Byron. 


227 


MISSIONARY  ANECDOTES. 

Under  this  head,  we  place  a  few  incidents  of  Missionary  Enterprise . 
The  difficulties  and  dangers  of  the  Missionary's  life,  as  exhibited 
in  these,  cannot  fail  powerfully  to  excite  the  sympathy  of  our 
readers. 

DANGERS    IN   SOUTH    AFRICA. 

In  August,  1811,  the  members  of  the  missionary  sta- 
tion of  Bavian's  Kloof  were  involved  in  deep  distress  by 
a  most  affecting  accident.  The  neighbourhood  having 
been  much  infested  by  wolves,  which  committed  great 
havoc  among  the  cattle,  a  day  was  appointed  to  hunt  and 
destroy  them,  agreeably  to  the  usual  practice  of  the 
country.  The  brethren  Bonatz  and  Schmitt,  with  about 
thirty  Hottentots,  accordingly  set  out  in  the  morning 
with  loaded  guns.  When  about  an  hour's  ride  from  the 
settlement,  they  discovered  and  wounded  a  w7olf,  but 
the  animal  made  its  escape  among  the  bushes.  They 
pursued  it  for  some  time,  but  not  being  able  to  detect 
its  hiding-place,  the  two  missionaries  resolved  to  return 
home.  They  had  already  left  the  Hottentots  a  small 
distance,  when  the  latter  cried  that  they  had  discovered 
the  wolf  in  a  thicket  near  at  hand.  Schmitt  immedi- 
ately rode  back  to  their  assistance,  but  Bonatz  remained 
behind,  as  he  had  not  his  gun  with  him.  When  they 
were  in  the  thicket,  the  dog  started  the  animal.  Those 
within  did  not  see  what  it  was ;  but  those  without  ex- 
claimed it  was  a  tiger,  and  ran  off,  leaving  the  missionary 
and  one  of  the  Hottentots  in  the  middle  of  the  bushes, 
and  perfectly  at  a  loss  by  what  side  to  escape,  lest  they 
should  come  directly  upon  it.  They  therefore  proceeded 
slowly,  with  their  guns  pointed,  designing  to  shoot  the 


228  MISSIONARY  ANECDOTES. 

animal  the  moment  it  made  its  appearance.  On  a  sudden 
the  tiger  sprung  upon  the  Hottentot,  pulled  him  down, 
and  began  to  bite  his  face.  The  distance  of  the  place 
from  whence  the  animal  made  his  spring  to  that  on  which 
the  Hottentot  stood,  was  fully  twenty  feet,  and  over 
bushes  from  six  to  eight  feet  high,  so  that,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  horror  of  the  scene,  it  would  have  been  very 
amusing  to  behold  the  enraged  animal  ftying  like  a  bird 
through  the  air,  with  open  jaw  and  lashing  tail,  and 
screaming  with  the  greatest  violence.  Schmitt,  who 
was  close  at  hand,  prepared  to  shoot  the  tiger  ;  but  the 
motions  of  the  Hottentot  and  the  animal  in  rolling  about, 
and  struggling  together  were  so  rapid,  that  he  was  afraid 
to  fire  lest  he  should  injure  him  whom  he  wished  to 
save.  Immediately,  however,  the  tiger  let  go  the  Hot- 
tentot and  made  a  spring  at  the  missionary.  His  gun 
being  of  no  use  at  such  close  quarters,  he  threw  it  down, 
and  in  order  to  shield  his  face  held  up  his  arm,  which 
the  animal  instantly  siezed  close  to  the  elbow  with  his 
jaws.  Schmitt,  however,  was  still  able,  with  the  same 
hand,  to  lay  hold  of  one  of  the  tiger's  fore-feet,  while 
with  the  other  paw  the  animal  continued  striking  his 
breast  and  tearing  his  clothes.  Happily  both  fell  in  the 
struggle  in  such  a  position,  that  the  missionary's  knee 
rested  on  the  pit  of  the  tiger's  stomach.  He,  at  the 
same  time,  grasped  the  animal's  throat  with  his  right 
hand,  and  kept  him  down  with  all  his  might.  His  face 
now  lay  directly  over  the  tiger,  whose  open  mouth,  from 
the  pressure  of  the  wind-pipe,  sent  forth  the  most  hideous, 
hoarse,  convulsive  groans,  while  his  starting  eyes  seemed 
to  flash  with  fire.  As  his  strength  was  fast  failing, 
Schmitt  called  to  his  companions  to  come  to  his  assist- 
ance ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  rage  and  agony  of 
the  tiger  supplied  it  with  extraordinary  energy.  On 
hearing  his  cries,  tne  Hottentots  ran  to  his  assistance, 


MISSIONARY  ANECDOTES.  229 

and  one  of  them  snatching  up  the  loaded  gun  which  lay 
on  the  ground,  shot  the  tiger  through  the  heart.  His 
death  was  instantaneous.  Had  the  spark  of  life  not 
been  completely  extinguished,  his  dying  struggles  might 
have  proved  fatal  to  seme  of  his  assailants.  About  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  they  arrived  at  Gruenekloof  with 
the  poor  missionary,  who,  though  severely  wounded, 
was  still  alive.  As  the  case,  however,  was  of  an  extra- 
ordinary nature,  his  friends  were  much  at  a  loss  how  to 
treat  him ;  and  before  it  was  possible  to  obtain  medical 
advice  from  the  Cape,  the  inflammation  had  spread  to 
an  alarming  extent.  Every  hour,  indeed,  he  grew  worse. 
He  had  seven  or  eight  wounds  from  the  elbow  to  the 
wrist;  in  some  places  they  penetrated  to  the  very  bone; 
and  as  the  teeth  and  claws  of  a  tiger  are  shaped  like 
those  of  a  cat,  they  had  of  course  lacerated  the  parts. 
His  brethren,  after  several  days,  procured  a  medical  man 
from  the  Cape,  who  bled  him  very  freely,  and  kindly  pro- 
mised not  to  leave  him  until  he  was  out  of  danger.  By 
degrees  the  inflammation  abated,  symptoms  of  a  favour- 
able nature  began  to  appear;  and  to  the  astonishment  of 
all  his  friends,  Schmitt  at  length  recovered,  though  he 
did  not  enjoy  the  same  degree  of  health  as  before. 

The  Hottentot,  though  severely  wounded,  did  not  suf- 
fer so  much  bodily  pain  as  the  missionary.  It  was  the 
third  instance  in  which  he  had  encountered  a  tiger,  and 
this  time  he  would  in  all  probability  have  lost  his  life 
had  not  Schmitt  risked  his  own  to  save  him.  After  the 
tiger  had  thrown  the  Hottentot  down,  the  missionary 
might  easily  have  made  his  escape,  as  well  as  his  com- 
panions, but  he  could  not  bear  to  see  the  poor  man  lose 
his  life,  without  endeavouring  at  least  to  rescue  him. — 
Methodist  Magazine, 


230  MISSIONARY    ANECDOTES. 


MISSIONARY   STATION  IN  GREENLAND. 

In  the  course  of  a  voyage  made  by  the  writer,  the 
ship  came  in  contact  with  an  iceberg  and  was  severely 
injured,  and  all  hope  in  consequence  of  passing  the 
Atlantic  with  safety  being  done  away,  it  was  determined 
by  the  captain  to  sail  for  Holsteinborg,  a  Danish  settle- 
ment on  the  eastern  side  of  Davis's  Straits.  Here  the 
vessel  was  repaired  ;  and,  during  the  necessary  stay, 
the  writer  became  acquainted  with  the  Rev.  K.  Kijer, 
the  missionary  at  that  place,  with  whom,  and  his  ex- 
cellent family,  he  passed  one  of  the  most  interesting 
periods  of  his  life. 

The  life  of  a  missionary,  even  in  a  temperate  zone,  is 
not  without  suffering  and  danger.  What,  therefore, 
must  it  be  in  an  inclement  region  like  that  of  Green- 
land, and  at  a  station  within  the  arctic  circle  1 

The  Rev.  K.  Kijer  is  a  Danish  clergyman  of  the  Lu- 
theran church,  whose  friends  reside  at  Skorup  Horsens, 
in  Denmark.  To  become  a  missionary  chaplain  at 
Holsteinborg,  he  left  his  native  land  in  September  1819, 
and  soon  began  to  feel  the  effects  of  a  severe  climate. 

In  1825  this  holy  man  started,  in  a  small  boat  to  visit 
a  distant  settlement  under  his  pastoral  care.  On  one 
of  the  lengthening  days  of  April,  a  storm  suddenly  over- 
took him  and  his  companions,  and  they  were  cast  on  a 
small,  desert,  and  wretched  island,  where  they  were 
compelled  to  remain  for  three  days.  During  this  time 
the  tempest  was  unabated,  and  it  often  threatened  to 
wash  them  off  the  half-deluged  rock  on  which  they  had 
been  cast.  The  wind  was  so  high  that  it  was  impos- 
sible for  them  even  to  rear  a  tent  to  defend  them  from 
the  unrelenting  fury  of  the  storm ;  wet,  and  cold  by  the 
continual  vehemence  of  a  northern  blast,  with  their  little 


MISSIONARY  ANECDOTES.  231 

stock  of  provisions  exhausted,  they  grasped  the  icy  rock, 
to  maintain,  if  possible,  their  situation  during  the  drift- 
ing gusts  which  appeared  ready  to  bury  them  in  the 
foaming  billows.  At  length  they  were  compelled  to 
satisfy  the  cravings  of  hunger  by  gathering  and  eating 
the  scanty  herbage  which  here  and  there  grew  in  the 
crevices  of  the  rocks.  On  the  morning  of  the  fourth 
day  the  tempest  abated  a  little,  and,  prompted  by  hun- 
ger, they  launched  their  shattered  boat,  with  scarcely 
strength  enough  to  row  to  the  not  far  distant  shore.  At 
length  he  arrived  at  the  station  he  set  out  for,  120  miles 
from  home,  where,  having  set  things  in  order,  and  ex- 
horted that  part  of  his  flock,  he  returned  to  Holsteinborg. 

Captain  Sir  John  Ross's  account  of  Holsteinborg  is 
truly  interesting,  and,  confirming  all  the  author  has 
stated,  he  has  ventured  to  insert  it.     It  is  as  follows  : — 

"  We  found  the  governor,  named  Kail,  a  person  of 
very  prepossessing  manners  and  appearance.  He  seemed 
about  thirty  years  of  age,  and  had  been  resident  during 
six  with  the  charge  of  this  district.  The  clergyman, 
named  Kijer,  seemed  to  be  about  the  same  age,  with  the 
manners  and  language  of  a  well-educated  and  intelli- 
gent man.  He  had  been  resident  during  the  same  time, 
with  a  wife  and  small  family. 

"  We  landed  under  a  salute ;  an  honour  which  I  did 
not  expect,  but  which  we  afterwards  returned,  of  course, 
as  soon  as  an  opportunity  occurred.  We  were  received 
by  Mrs.  Kijer,  who  was  in  waiting  to  conduct  us  to  their 
hospitable  mansion;  and  in  both  Commander  Ross  was 
delighted  to  recognize  two  old  acquaintances,  having 
known  them  during  a  former  voyage  at  the  Whale- 
islands.  Fortunately,  knowing  the  Danish  myself,  I 
was  enabled  to  converse  with  this  lady  also,  as  her  know- 
ledge did  not,  like  her  husband's,  extend  to  the  English 
language.     We  were  treated  with  what  we  might  call 


232  MISSIONARY    ANECDOTES. 

an  elegant  repast  of  venison  and  other  things,  and  served 
by  Esquimaux  in  their  native  costume,  but  far  surpass- 
ing in  cleanliness  those  with  whom  we  had  been  in 
communication  on  former  occasions  ;  and,  moreover,  de- 
corated with  a  profusion  of  beads,  and  their  hair  bound 
with  pink  handkerchiefs. 

"  After  dinner  we  inspected  the  settlement,  which 
consisted  of  the  governor's  and  clergyman's  houses,  a 
church,  two  store-houses,  a  bake-house,  and  about  forty 
Esquimaux  huts.  The  two  houses  were  built  of  wood, 
having  a  ground  story,  containing  a  commodious  dining- 
room,  a  good  bed-room,  a  small  parlour,  and  a  kitchen, 
the  governor's  having  an  extra  room  adjoining,  for  the 
accommodation  of  his  two  boats'  crews  and  two  pilots. 
The  apartments  were  low,  and  having  cross  beams,  and 
the  ceiling  resembling  the  fore-cabin  of  a  fifty-gun  ship  ; 
the  upper  story  containing  only  bed-rooms  for  servants, 
being  a  species  of  attic.  To  the  church  there  is  a  small 
steeple,  somewhat  surmounting  the  building,  the  inside 
being  neat  and  plain,  with  an  organ  at  one  extremity, 
and  the  altar  at  the  other,  though  the  former  was  not 
seen,  as  it  had  been  sent  home  to  be  repaired. 

"  The  church  is  capable  of  containing  200  persons, 
and  is  well  attended ;  the  sermon  and  prayers  being  in 
the  Esquimaux  and  Danish  language,  on  the  alternate 
Sundays.  I  need  not  say  that  the  Danish  form  is  Lu- 
theran ;  nor  need  I  repeat  the  praise  so  well  deserved 
and  so  often  bestowed  on  the  Danish  government,  for 
their  attention  to  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  Green- 
landers  ;  and  as  little  need  I  notice  the  well-known  suc- 
cess which  has  attended  the  labours  of  the  worthy  cler- 
gymen who  have  undertaken  this  office  under  such  a 
banishment,  and  such  privations.  The  store-house  at 
the  landing-place  is  the  receptacle  of  all  heavy  articles; 
and  at  the  other  higher  up  some  of  the  people  reside. 


MISSIONARY    ANECDOTES.  233 

There  is  no  view  of  the  sea  from  the  town,  the  harbour 
alone  being  visible.  It  is  defended  from  the  east  by  high 
rocks,  and  also  from  the  west  by  others,  so  as  to  be  well 
sheltered ;  while  it  is  covered  from  the  south,  though  at 
a  greater  distance,  by  a  huge  mountain  called  the  Old 
Woman's  Hood,  and  has  also  a  prospect  of  a  range  of 
loftier  hills  fronting  the  harbour.  It  is  thus  a  really  in- 
teresting and  almost  romantic  spot,  nevertheless  scarcely 
endurable  as  a  residence,  during  even  a  tolerable  portion 
of  the  year,  such  as  it  chanced  to  be  at  our  visit.  From 
an  eminence  a  little  way  beyond  it,  we  obtained  a  fine 
view  of  the  sea  and  its  countless  islands ;  forming  an 
interesting  maritime  landscape,  out  of  the  power  of  our 
pencils  at  least,  if  not  of  better  ones  than  ours.  And 
from  the  same  point  we  could  discern  our  own  floating 
home,  lying  snug  in  her  little  cove." — Introduction  to  a 
Poem,  "  The  Greenland  Minstrel" 


A    MORAVIAN    SETTLEMENT    IN    SOUTH    AFRICA. 

The  valley  of  the  White  River  lies  at  the  bottom  of 
the  Zureberg  mountains,  which  rise  on  this  side  to  an 
elevation  of  about  2500  feet  above  the  level  of  the  ad- 
jacent country.  The  declivities  of  the  mountain,  and 
the  whole  of  the  subsidiary  hills  which  encompass  this 
glen,  are  covered  with  the  clustering  forest-jungle  which 
I  have  described ;  but  the  banks  of  the  stream  are  com- 
paratively level  and  open,  and  covered  with  luxuriant 
pastures  of  sweet  grass.  The  whole  length  of  the  vale 
may  be  altogether,  probably,  about  ten  or  twelve  miles, 
from  the  spot  where  the  little  river  abruptly  emerges 
from  the  recesses  of  the  mountains  to  where  it  joins  the 
Sunday  river.  The  scenery  of  the  upper  part  of  the 
16 


234  MISSIONARY    ANECDOTES. 

dell  is  very  picturesque.  Accompanying  the  course  of 
the  stream,  as  it  meanders  through  the  meadows,  you 
have,  on  the  right,  lofty  hills  covered  with  woods  of 
evergreens,  and  broken  by  kloofs,  or  subsidiary  dells, 
filled  with  large  forest-timber.  On  the  left  the  hills  are 
lower,  but  also  covered  with  copsewood,  and  in  many 
places  diversified  by  rocks  and  cliffs  of  deep  red  and 
other  lively  colours.  The  valley,  winding  among  those 
woody  heights,  spreads  out  occasionally  to  a  consider- 
able breadth ;  and  then  again  the  converging  hills  ap- 
pear to  close  it  in  entirely  with  huge  masses  of  rock 
and  forest.  At  every  turn  the  outline  of  the  hill  varies, 
presenting  new  points  of  picturesque  scenery ;  while, 
scattered  through  the  meadows,  or  bending  over  the 
river  margin,  appear  little  clumps  of  evergreens,  wil- 
lows, and  acacias  ;  and  sometimes  groves  of  lofty  forest 
trees  (chiefly  yellow  wood,  or  Cape  cedar)  enrich  the 
vale  with  a  stately  beauty  not  always  met  with  in  South 
African  landscape.  This  combination  of  the  wild,  the 
grand,  and  the  beautiful  is  heightened  in  its  effect  by 
the  exotic  appearance  of  the  vegetation :  the  lofty  can- 
delabra-shaped euphorbias  towering  above  the  copses  of 
evergreens ;  the  aloes  clustering  along  the  summits  or 
fronts  of  the  weather-stained  rocks ;  the  speckboom, 
with  its  light  green  leaves  and  lilac  blossoms;  the  more 
elegantly-shaped  mimosa,  with  its  yellow-tufted  flowers ; 
the  baboon's  ladder,  wild-vine,  and  other  parasitical 
plants  and  creepers,  that  climb  among  the  crags,  and 
festoon  in  grotesque  exuberance  the  branches  of  the 
loftiest  trees,  intermingled  with  jasmines  and  superb 
geraniums ; — these,  and  a  thousand  other  shrubs  and 
flowers,  of  which  only  a  few  are  known  to  our  green- 
houses, adorn  even  the  precipitous  rocks,  and  fill  up  the 
interstices  of  the  forest. 

The  meadows,  too,  or  savannahs   along  the  river 


MISSIONARY  ANECDOTES.  235 

banks,  are  richly  embellished,  at  least  in  the  spring 
and  early  summer,  with  the  large  purple  flowers  of  a 
species  of  amarillis,  which  has  a  very  splendid  appear- 
ance. At  the  time  of  my  visit,  which  was  the  autumn 
of  the  southern  hemisphere,  the  vale  was  thickly  over- 
spread with  a  small,  white,  delicate  flower,  somewhat 
resembling  the  snow-drop.  The  river  itself,  like  the 
River  of  Baboons,  is  but  a  large  mountain  torrent, 
bursting  down,  after  heavy  rains,  in  floods  which  sweep 
over  a  great  part  of  the  level  meads  above  described, 
and  which  fling  up,  in  their  violence,  immense  quanti- 
ties of  large  rolled  stones  and  gravel,  through  which  the 
stream,  when  diminished  by  the  summer  heats,  filtrates 
silently  and  unperceived.  The  current,  however,  even 
in  the  greatest  droughts,  is  never  entirely  interrupted, 
though  sometimes  invisible,  but  always  fills  the  large 
pools,  or  natural  tanks,  which  spread  out  like  little 
lakelets  along  its  channel,  and  which  its  temporary 
floods  serve  to  sweep  and  purify. 

The  Moravian  settlement  of  Enon  was  situate  near 
the  centre  of  the  valley  of  the  White  river,  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  scenery  which  I  have  attempted  to  describe. 
It  stood  upon  a  level  spot  of  alluvial  soil,  near  the  mar- 
gin of  one  of  the  deep  lagoons  formed  by  the  river,  and 
which  the  brethren  have  named  the  Leguan's  Tank, 
from  its  being  frequented  by  numbers  of  the  large  am- 
phibious lizard  called  the  leguan,  or  guana.  It  was  also, 
I  observed,  well  stocked  with  a  species  of  carp  common 
to  many  of  the  South  African  streams. 

The  village  was  laid  out  in  the  form  of  a  long  street, 
at  the  upper  end  of  which  was  to  be  erected  the  church, 
school-room,  work-shops,  and  dwelling-houses  of  the 
missionaries.  A  small  part  only  of  these  buildings  had 
as  yet  been  completed ;  for  the  good  brethren  and  their 
Hottentot  disciples  had  returned  but  a  few  months  be- 


236  MISSIONARY  ANECDOTES. 

fore  to  reoccupy  this  station,  after  having  been  driven 
out  of  it  by  the  CafFres  in  the  war  of  1819. 

The  number  of  Hottentots  at  this  institution  was 
then  about  200.  Their  dwellings  were,  with  a  few 
exceptions,  small  wattled  cabins  of  a  very  simple  con- 
struction. 

The  extent  of  cultivation  here  was  much  inferior  to 
what  I  afterwards  witnessed  at  the  elder  Moravian  set- 
tlement of  Genadendal,  where  the  whole  village  is  en- 
veloped in  a  forest  of  fruit-trees ;  but,  considering  the 
short  period  that  had  elapsed  since  the  inhabitants  had 
returned  to  their  labours,  as  much  had  been  accomplished 
as  could  reasonably  be  expected.  The  appearance  of 
the  whole  place  was  neat,  orderly,  and  demure.  There 
was  no  hurried  bustle,  no  noisy  activity,  even  in  the 
missionary  workshops,  though  industry  plied  there  its 
regular  and  cheerful  task;  but  a  sort  of  pleasing  pas- 
toral quiet  seemed  to  reign  throughout  the  settlement, 
and  brood  over  the  secluded  valley. 

There  were  at  this  time  three  missionaries  at  Enon, 
besides  another  brother  who  was  absent  on  a  journey, 
all  of  them  natives  of  Germany.  The  eldest  of  these, 
who  was  also  the  superintendent  of  the  institution,  was 
the  venerable  brother  Schmitt,  who,  after  spending  his 
earlier  years  as  a  missionary  on  the  desolate  coast  of 
Labrador,  had  been  sent  to  Southern  Africa.  Mrs. 
Schmitt,  an  Englishwoman,  and  at  this  period  the  only 
white  woman  in  the  settlement,  appeared  to  be  a  person 
exceedingly  well  adapted  for  the  station  she  occupied. 
The  two  younger  brethren  were  plain  mechanics. 

Regularity  is  one  of  the  most  striking  characteristics 
of  the  Moravian  system ;  and  a  love  of  order,  even  to 
excess,  pervades  every  part  of  their  economy.  In 
order  to  give  some  idea  of  this,  I  shall  mention  the 
daily  routine  at  this  place,  which  is,  I  believe,  precisely 


MISSIONARY    ANECDOTES.  237 

similar  to  that  established  at  their  other  institutions  in 
this  country. 

At  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  missionaries  and 
their  families  are  summoned  together,  by  the  ringing 
of  a  large  bell,  suspended  in  front  of  the  mission-house. 
The  matin  hymn  is  then  sung,  and  a  text  of  Scripture 
read,  for  all  to  meditate  upon  during  the  day  ;  and  after 
drinking  a  single  cup  of  coffee,  they  separate  to  pursue 
their  respective  occupations.  At  eight  o'clock  the  bell 
reassembles  them  to  a  substantial  breakfast,  consisting 
of  fish,  fruit,  eggs,  and  cold  meat ;  each  person  com- 
monly drinking  a  single  glass  of  wine.  This  meal,  as 
well  as  the  others,  is  preceded  and  followed  by  a  short 
hymn,  by  way  of  grace,  in  which  all  the  company  join. 
As  soon  as  breakfast  is  over,  they  retire  to  their  sepa- 
rate apartments,  for  meditation  or  devotion,  till  nine 
o'clock,  when  the  active  labours  of  the  day  are  again 
resumed,  and  continued  till  noon.  At  twelve  o'clock 
precisely  the  bell  is  again  rung;  labour  is  intermitted  ; 
the  school  is  dismissed ;  and  the  brethren  and  their 
families  assemble  in  the  dining  hall  to  the  mid-day 
meal.  The  dishes  are  sometimes  numerous  (especially, 
I  presume,  when  they  have  visitors),  but  the  greater 
part  consist  of  fruit  and  vegetables  of  their  own  culti- 
vation, variously  dressed.  I  did  not  observe  that  any 
of  the  brethren  drank  more  than  a  single  glass  of  wine, 
and  that  generally  mixed  with  water.  The  meal  is 
enlivened  with  cheerful  conversation,  and  is  closed  with 
the  customary  little  hymn  of  thanksgiving.  All  then 
rise  and  retire,  to  occupy  or  amuse  themselves  as  each 
may  be  inclined.  Most  of  the  missionaries,  after  din- 
ner, take  a  short  nap,  a  practice  generally  prevalent 
throughout  the  Cape  colony,  except  among  the  English. 
At  two  o'clock  a  cup  of  tea  or  coffee  is  drank,  and  all 
proceed  again  with  alacrity  to  their  various  occupations, 


238  MISSIONARY    ANECDOTES. 

which  are  prosecuted  till  six.  This  latter  hour  concludes 
the  labours  of  the  day ;  the  sound  of  the  hammer  is 
stilled,  and  the  brethren  assemble  once  more  at  the  eve- 
ning meal,  which  consists  of  light  viands,  and  is  soon 
over.  After  supper  they  adjourn  to  the  church,  where 
a  portion  of  Scripture  is  briefly  explained,  or  a  homily 
delivered,  either  to  the  whole  Hottentot  congregation, 
or  to  one  of  the  several  sections  in  which  the  people 
are  classed,  agreeably  to  the  progress  they  may  have 
attained  in  knowledge  and  piety.  All  then  retire  to 
rest,  with  an  appearance  of  cheerful  satisfaction,  such 
as  may  be  naturally  imagined  to  result  from  the  habitual 
practice  of  industry  and  temperance,  unembittered  by 
worldly  cares,  and  hallowed  by  the  consciousness  of 
having  devoted  their  mental  and  bodily  faculties  to  the 
glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  men. 

Though  the  Moravians  find  it  impracticable  or  inex- 
pedient to  follow  up  in  their  missionary  settlements  some 
of  the  peculiar  and  rather  monastic  regulations,  which 
are  observed  in  their  European  establishments,  such  as 
separating  the  married  and  the  unmarried,  the  youth  of 
different  sexes,  &c,  still  their  precision  and  formality  in 
classification  are  very  remarkable.  Among  other  pecu- 
liarities of  this  description,  I  may  refer  to  the  singular 
arrangement  of  their  burial-grounds,  which  are  divided 
and  sub-divided  by  walks,  crossing  at  right  angles,  into 
several  compartments.  One  of  these  plots  thus  marked 
off  is  appropriated  for  the  sepulture  of  the  married 
missionary  brethren  and  sisters;  a  second  for  the  un- 
married brothers  ;  a  third  for  the  unmarried  sisters  ;  a 
fourth  and  fifth  for  baptized  and  married  natives,  male 
and  female ;  a  sixth  and  seventh  for  the  unmarried  and 
unbaptized  natives,  and  so  on.  This  certainly  is  car- 
rying classification  to  a  most  fanciful  pitch,  especially 
that  of  mere  mortal  dust  and  ashes !  Passing  over  this, 


MISSIONARY  ANECDOTES.  239 

however,  there  is  unquestionably  something  very  touch- 
ing, as  well  as  tasteful  and  picturesque,  in  the  appear- 
ance of  a  Moravian  burial-ground  in  South  Africa. 
Situate  at  some  little  distance  from  the  village,  yet  not 
far  from  the  house  of  worship,  cut  out  in  the  centre  of 
a  grove  of  evergreens,  and  kept  as  neat  as  a  pleasure- 
garden,  the  burial-ground  of  Enon  formed  a  pleasing 
contrast  to  the  solitary  graves  heaped  with  a  few  loose 
stones,  or  the  neglected  and  dilapidated  churchyards 
usually  met  with  in  the  colony.  The  funeral  service, 
too,  of  the  Moravians  is  very  solemn  and  impressive. 
And  still  more  solemn  must  be  the  yearly  celebration 
of  their  service  on  Easter  morn,  when  the  whole  popu- 
lation of  the  settlement  is  congregated  in  the  burial- 
ground,  to  listen  to  an  appropriate  discouise  from  the 
most  venerable  of  their  pastors,  accompanied  by  an 
affecting  commemoration  of  such  of  their  friends  and 
relatives  as  may  have  died  within  the  year,  and  fol- 
lowed by  hymns  and  anthems  sung  by  their  united 
voices  amidst  the  ashes  of  their  kindred. 

The  missionaries  at  this  place,  like  their  German 
countrymen  in  general,  appeared  to  have  a  fine  taste 
for  music ;  and  the  voices  of  the  Hottentots  being  pe- 
culiarly mellow,  there  was  nothing  vulgar  or  discordant 
in  their  singing,  but,  on  the  contrary,  a  sweet,  solemn, 
and  pathetic  harmony.  Nothing,  indeed,  can  well  be 
conceived  more  exquisitely  affecting  than  the  rich 
though  simple  melody  of  one  of  these  missionary 
hymns  when  sung  by  an  African  congregation  in  the 
bosom  of  their  native  woods,  where  only  a  few  years 
ago  no  voice  was  heard  save  the  howling  of  wild 
beasts,  or  the  yell  of  savage  hordes. — Pringle's  Jfrican 
Sketches, 


240 


NIGHT. 


Night  is  the  time  for  rest : 

How  sweet,  when  labours  close, 

To  gather  round  an  aching  breast 
The  curtain  of  repose ; 

Stretch  the  tired  limbs,  and  lay  the  head 

Upon  our  own  delightful  bed. 

Night  is  the  time  for  dreams, 

The  gay  romance  of  life  ; 
When  truth  that  is,  and  truth  that  seems, 

Blend  in  fantastic  strife. 
Ah !  visions  less  beguiling  far 
Than  waking  dreams  by  day-light  are. 

Night  is  the  time  for  toil, 

To  plough  the  classic  field ; 
Intent  to  find  the  buried  spoil 

Its  wealthy  furrows  yield  : 
Till  all  is  ours  that  sages  taught, 
That  poets  sang,  or  heroes  wrought. 

Night  is  the  time  to  weep — 

To  wet  with  unseen  tears 
Those  graves  of  memory,  where  sleep 

The  joys  of  other  years; 
Hopes  that  were  angels  in  their  birth, 
But  finished  young  like  things  on  earth ! 

Night  is  the  time  to  watch 

On  ocean's  dark  expanse, 
To  hail  the  Pleiades,  or  catch 

The  full  moon's  earliest  glance, 


241 


That  brings  into  the  home-sick  mind 
All  we  have  loved  and  left  behind. 

Night  is  the  time  for  care, 

Brooding  on  hours  misspent ; 
To  see  the  spectre  of  despair 

Come  to  our  lonely  tent; 
Like  Brutus,  'midst  his  slumb'ring  host, 
Startled  by  Caesar's  stalwart  ghost. 

Night  is  the  time  to  muse — 

Then  from  the  eye  the  soul 
Takes  flight,  and  with  expanding  views, 

Beyond  the  starry  pole 
Descries,  athwart  th'  abyss  of  night, 
The  dawn  of  uncreated  light ! 

Night  is  the  time  to  pray — 

Our  Saviour  oft  withdrew 
To  desert  mountains  far  away  ; 

So  will  his  followers  do ; 
Steal  through  the  throng  to  haunts  untrod, 
And  hold  communion  with  their  God. 

Night  is  the  time  for  death ; 

When  all  around  is  peace, 
Calmly  to  yield  the  weary  breath, 

From  sin  and  suffering  cease ; 
Think  of  heaven's  bliss,  and  give  the  sign 
To  parting  friends — such  death  be  mine  ! 

Montgomery. 


242 


THE   STARLING. 

The  Starling,  although  closely  resembling  the  thrush 
and  blackbird  in  some  respects,  differs  from  them  es- 
sentially in  others ;  and  as  its  beak,  on  examination, 
will  be  found  to  be  without  a  notch  at  its  extremity,  it 
may  be  decidedly  placed  amongst  the  conirostral  tribe. 

Of  some  birds  it  is  difficult,  from  their  retired  habits, 
to  give  any  clear  and  accurate  account.  Not  so  of  our 
friend  the  starling.  When  it  suits  his  purpose,  he 
comes  fearlessly  under  our  observation,  and  invites  us 
to  learn  his  history.  For  many  and  many  a  year  have 
we  watched  him  from  month  to  month,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  certain  season,  when,  for  reasons  best  known 
to  himself,  he  altogether  disappears,  and  leaves  us  to 
wonder  what  has  become  of  him. 

Close  before  the  window  of  our  scene  of  observa- 
tion, a  well-mown  short-grassed  lawn  is  spread  before 
him — it  is  his  dining-room  ;  there,  in  the  spring,  he  is 
allowed  to  revel,  but  seldom  molested,  on  the  plentiful 
supply  of  worms  which  he  collects  pretty  much  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  thrush.  Close  at  hand,  within 
half  a  stone's  throw,  stands  an  ivy-mantled  parish 
church,  with  its  massy  gray  tower,  from  the  turreted 
pinnacle  of  which  rises  a  tall  flag-staff,  crowned  by  its 
weathercock  ;  under  the  eaves,  and  within  the  hollows 
and  chinks  of  the  masonry  of  this  tower,  are  his  nursery 
establishments.  On  the  battlements,  and  projecting 
grotesque  tracery  of  its  gothic  ornaments,  he  retires  to 
enjoy  himself,  looking  down  on  the  rural  world  below  ; 
while,  at  other  times,  a  still  more  elevated  party  will 
crowd  together  on  the  letters  of  the  weathercock,  or, 
accustomed  to  its  motion,  sociably  twitter  away  their 


THE    STARLING.  243 

chattering  song,  as  the  vane  creaks  slowly  round  with 
every  change  of  wind. 

We  will  give  a  journal  of  our  starlings'  lives.  At 
the  close  of  January  one  or  two  unconnected  birds, 
now  and  then  make  their  appearance  on  this  weather- 
cock ;  at  first  but  for  a  few  minutes,  as  if,  without  an 
assignable  reason,  they  had  merely  touched  upon  it  as 
an  inviting  resting-place,  in  their  unsettled  course.  In 
February,  if  the  weather  happens  to  be  mild,  the  num- 
ber of  idlers  may  possibly  now  and  then  increase ;  but 
still  the  visit  seems  to  be  but  the  mere  passing  call  of 
a  few  strangers,  without  a  leading  object.  In  March, 
however,  about  the  first  or  second  week,  according  to 
the  state  of  the  weather,  things  begin  to  assume  a 
more  bustling  and  serious  appearance.  Hitherto  but 
one  or  two,  or  at  most  three  or  four,  may  have  dropped 
in,  as  if  to  say,  Here  we  are,  the  winter  is  past  and 
gone,  a  happier  season  is  at  hand.  But  now  the  flights 
increase,  the  three  and  the  four  are  multiplied  to  four- 
teen or  sixteen,  and  the  song  becomes  a  little  chorus, 
more  loud  and  more  joyous  than  before ;  and  occasion- 
ally, though  at  first  with  some  circumspection  and 
hesitation,  one  or  two  of  the  boldest  will  let  themselves 
gently  fall  from  their  airy  height,  and  glide  down  upon 
the  lawn,  as  if  to  inquire  into  the  state  of  their  future 
larder ;  for  they  scarcely  take  time  to  taste  the  hidden 
treasures  below  the  sod,  but  looking  suspiciously  about, 
are  on  the  wing  in  a  moment,  if  an  inmate  approaches 
the  window,  or  a  door  is  heard  to  shut  or  open. 

About  the  latter  end  of  the  second  week,  affairs  begin 
to  be  placed  upon  a  more  regular  footing;  the  parties 
on  or  about  the  battlements  and  weathercock,  seem  as 
if  they  had  determined  upon  a  permanent  establishment. 
From  early  dawn  till  about  ten,  there  they  remain  carol- 
ing away  their  communications  ;  at  that  hour,  however, 


244  THE   STARLING. 

off  they  go,  and  till  four  or  five  o'clock,  are  seen  no 
more,  throughout  the  greater  part  of  the  day  ;  being 
absent  in  the  fields,  where  they  may  be  seen  chattering 
in  company  with  the  inhabitants  of  a  neighbouring 
rookery,  or  a  noisy  set  of  jackdaws,  who  have,  for  time 
out  of  mind,  been  the  undisputed  tenants  of  a  certain 
portion  of  an  ancient  beech-wood,  at  no  great  distance. 
About  the  third  week,  the  plot  begins  to  thicken  still 
more.  The  field,  the  lawn,  and  the  weathercock,  are 
no  longer  the  only  objects  of  interest.  Detachments 
may  be  now  seen,  prowling  busily  over  the  roof,  cau- 
tiously creeping  in  and  out,  from  under  the  projecting 
eaves,  and  by  the  end  of  the  month,  the  regular  estab- 
lishment, amounting  to  about  thirty,  has  assembled, 
and  the  grand  work  of  the  year  fairly  commences. 
From  this  time  all  is  bustle ;  straws  and  nest  furniture 
are  seen  flying  through  the  air  in  beaks,  contriving, 
nevertheless,  to  announce  their  comings  and  goings  by 
particular  harsh  or  low  muttering  cries,  according  as 
they  think  they  are  watched  or  not.  They  are  cunning 
birds,  and  discover  in  an  instant,  whether  a  passer  by 
has  an  eye  to  their  movements,  and  perfectly  aware 
whether  he  is  following  his  own  business  or  theirs.  If 
he  steps  onwards,  without  troubling  himself  about  them, 
they  go  in  and  out  with  perfect  unconcern;  but  if  a 
glance  of  curiosity  or  observation  is  directed  to  their 
motions,  they  are  all  upon  the  alert ;  the  bearer  of  a  tuft 
to  the  nest  wheels  to  the  right  about,  and  perching  on 
the  naked  upper  twig  of  a  small  beech-tree,  or  the  pro- 
jecting point  of  a  gable  end,  sits  there,  uttering  a  par- 
ticular note,  which  seems  to  give,  as  well  as  words  could 
do,  intimation  to  a  mate  to  be  on  its  guard,  as  a  spy  is 
at  hand.  If  the  weather  is  tolerably  favourable,  every- 
thing goes  on  smoothly  and  regularly;  but  (and  we 
have,  in  the  journal  of  our  Starlings'  proceedings,  many 


THE    STARLING.  245 

instances  on  record)  should  a  severe  and  sudden  change 
occur,  a  violent  storm  of  snow,  or  continuance  of  chill- 
ing winds,  all  operations  are  suspended ;  not  only  the 
eaves,  and  half-built  nests,  but  even  the  tower  itself, 
battlements,  weathercock,  and  all,  are  deserted  till  a 
return  of  fine  weather,  when  the  starlings,  too,  return, 
and  the  work  again  proceeds.  At  length,  the  nests  are 
built,  the  eggs  laid,  and  the  young  ones  hatched  Then 
a  new  scene  of  noise  and  activity  and  bustle  commences, 
increasing,  of  course,  as  the  nestlings  become  older  and 
more  voracious.  Then  it  is  that  the  lawn  becomes  a 
favourite  resort ;  hitherto,  a  few  idlers  may  have  hopped 
and  picked  up  a  stray  worm  or  two,  but  now  the  search 
is  a  matter  of  serious  occupation. 

Down  they  come,  the  sober  coloured  hen  and  the 
cock,  with  the  sun  glittering  on  his  spangled  feathers, 
with  claws  and  beaks  as  busily  employed,  as  if  their 
very  existence  depended  upon  it.  All,  however,  in  good 
social  harmony,  never  quarrelling  with  the  shy  and  less 
instructive  thrush  or  blackbird  ;  or  with  the  lively  wag- 
tails, contenting  themselves  with  the  lighter  fare  of  the 
myriads  of  minute  flies  and  beetles,  hovering  over  the 
fresh  mown  turf. 

The  noise  and  bustle  go  on  incessantly,  till  the  young 
are  fledged,  when  for  a  day  or  two  they  may  be  seen 
fluttering  about  the  building,  or  taking  short  flights. 
At  length,  their  strength  being  matured,  old  and  young 
collect  on  the  tower,  and  then  wheel  away  over  the 
neighbouring  fields,  as  if  practising  for  future  and  more 
important  evolutions.  But  still  the  evening  finds  them 
roosting  near  the  place  of  their  birth.  At  last,  how- 
ever, a  day  comes  when  all  is  hushed.  No  hungry 
guests  are  feasting  on  the  lawn,  no  clamorous  throats 
are  calling  aloud  for  food,  no  twitterings  are  heard  from 


246  THE    STARLING. 

bough  or  battlement,  not  even  a  straggler  is  to  be  seen 
on  the  pinnacle  of  the  weathercock. 

The  joyous  assembly  is  broken  up.  The  starlings 
are  gone,  and  till  the  autumn,  with  scarcely  an  excep- 
tion, we  shall  see  them  no  more.  Then,  about  the  third 
week  in  September,  again  on  their  favourite  perch,  the 
weathercock,  one,  or  two,  or  three,  may  chance  to  ap- 
pear towards  evening,  not  with  the  merry  note  of  spring, 
but  uttering  that  monotonous,  plaintive,  long-drawn, 
whistling  cry,  as  cheerless  as  the  cheerless  season,  for 
which  they  seem  to  bid  us  prepare.  That  these,  and 
the  few  other  stragglers,  occasionally  occupying  the 
same  post,  are  our  spring  friends,  is  most  probable;  for 
a  lame  starling  was  observed,  for  eight  years,  to  return 
to  the  same  nest,  and  every  observation  we  have  made 
tends  to  prove  that  this  is  a  general  instinctive  custom 
of,  we  believe,  every  bird  whatever. 

Having  thus  given  some  report  of  our  starlings,  for 
the  greater  part  of  the  year,  we  will  endeavour  to  fol- 
low the  main  body  for  the  remaining  months  as  yet 
unaccounted  for. 

As  winter  approaches,  they  follow  the  example  of 
some  other  birds,  such  as  larks,  buntings,  &c,  and  con- 
gregate in  larger  quantities.  Not  far  from  the  church 
we  have  mentioned,  there  is  a  considerable  sheet  of 
water,  occupying  nearly  thirty  acres  ;  flanked  and  fea- 
thered, on  the  eastern  side,  by  the  old  beech  wood, 
already  spoken  of  as  the  abiding  place  of  the  jackdaws. 
Its  western  margin  is  bounded  by  an  artificial  dam, 
which,  as  the  water  is  upon  a  much  higher  level,  com- 
mands an  extensive  view  over  a  flat  rich  country,  the 
horizon  terminated  by  the  faint  outline  of  the  first  range 
of  Welsh  mountains.  This  dam,  on  the  finer  evenings 
of  November,  wTas  once  the  favourite  resort  of  many 


THE    STARLING.  247 

persons,  who  found  an  additional  attraction  in  watching 
the  gradual  assemblage  of  the  starlings.  About  an 
hour  before  sunset,  little  flocks,  by  twenties  or  fifties, 
kept  gradually  dropping  in,  their  numbers  increasing  as 
daylight  waned,  till  one  vast  flight  was  formed  amount- 
ing to  thousands,  and  at  times  we  might  almost  say  to 
millions.  Nothing  could  be  more  interesting  or  beauti- 
ful, than  to  witness  their  graceful  evolutions. 

At  first  they  might  be  seen  advancing  high  in  the  air, 
like  a  dark  cloud,  which,  in  an  instant,  as  if  by  magic, 
became  almost  invisible,  the  whole  body,  by  some  mys- 
terious watchword,  or  signal,  changing  their  course,  and 
presenting  their  wings  to  view  edgeways,  instead  of 
exposing,  as  before,  their  full  expanded  spread.  Again, 
in  another  moment,  the  cloud  might  be  seen  descend- 
ing in  a  graceful  sweep,  so  as  almost  to  brush  the  earth 
as  they  glanced  along.  Then  once  more  they  were 
seen  spiring  in  wide  circles  on  high ;  till  at  length, 
with  one  simultaneous  rush,  down  they  glide,  with  a 
roaring  noise  of  wing,  till  the  vast  mass  buried  itself 
unseen,  but  not  unheard,  amidst  a  bed  of  reeds,  pro- 
jecting from  the  bank  adjacent  to  the  wood.  For  no 
sooner  were  they  perched,  than  every  throat  seemed  to 
open  itself,  forming  one  incessant  confusion  of  tongues. 

If  nothing  disturbed  them,  there  they  would  most 
likely  remain  ;  but  if  a  stone  was  thrown,  a  shout  raised, 
or  more  especially,  if  a  gun  was  fired,  up  again  would 
rise  the  mass,  with  one  unbroken  rushing  sound,  as  if 
the  whole  body  were  possessed  but  of  one  wing,  to  bear 
them  in  their  upward  flight.  In  the  fens  of  Cambridge- 
shire and  Lincolnshire,  whose  reeds  are  of  considerable 
value  for  various  purposes,  the  mischief  they  occasion 
is  often  very  considerable,  by  bearing  down  and  break- 
ing them,  as  many  as  can  find  a  grasping  hold,  clinging 
to  the  same  slender  stem,  which,  of  course,  bends,  and 


248  A    WHALE-CHASE. 

plunges  them  in  the  water,  from  whence  they  rise  to 
join  some  other  neighbours,  whose  reed  is  still  able  to 
bear  their  weight.  This  perpetual  jostling  and  breaking 
down,  is  the  probable  cause  of  the  incessant  clatter, 
which  continues  for  a  considerable  time ;  indeed,  till  all 
have  procured  dry  beds,  and  a  firm  footing. — Stanley^s 
History  of  Birds. 


A  WHALE-CHASE. 

No  species  of  fishery  can  compare  in  intensity  of  interest  with  the 
Whale  Fishery.  The  magnitude  of  the  object  of  the  chase,  the 
perilous  character  of  the  seas  which  it  peculiarly  frequents,  are 
features  which  prominently  distinguish  the  profession  of  the 
whale-fisher  from  all  similar  pursuits,  and  which  invest  the  details 
of  its  history  with  the  strong  character  inseparable  from  pictures 
of  stirring  exertion,  privation,  and  danger.  In  the  previous  vol- 
ume of  the  Recreation,  we  presented  some  particulars  respecting 
whale-fishing  as  pursued  in  the  South  Seas  :  On  the  present 
occasion,  we  offer  the  following  animated  description  of  a  Whale- 
Chase,  extracted  from  Captain  Scoresby's  Voyages,  to  give  the 
reader  an  idea  of  the  difficulties  and  dangers  that  attend  the  Arctic 
Whale-Fishing. 

On  the  25th  of  June,  1812,  one  of  the  harpooners 
belonging  to  the  Resolution  of  Whitby,  under  my  com- 
mand, struck  a  whale  by  the  edge  of  a  small  floe  of  ice. 
Assistance  being  promptly  afforded,  a  second  boat's 
lines  were  attached  to  those  of  the  fast  boat,  in  a  few 
minutes  after  the  harpoon  was  discharged.  The  re- 
mainder of  the  boats  proceeded  at  some  distance,  in  the 
direction  the  fish  seemed  to  have  taken.  In  about  a 
quarter  of  an  hour,  the  fast  boat,  to  my  surprise,  again 
made  a  signal  for  lines.  As  the  ship  was  then  within 
five  minutes'  sail,  we  instantly  steered  towards  the  boat, 
with  the  view  of  affording  assistance  by  means  of  a 


A    WHALE-CHASE.  249 

spare  boat  we  still  retained  on  board.  Before  we 
reached  the  place,  however,  we  observed  four  oars  dis- 
played in  signal  order,  which,  by  their  number,  indi- 
cated a  most  urgent  necessity  for  assistance.  Two  of 
three  men  were  at  the  same  time  seen  seated  close  by 
the  stern,  which  was  considerably  elevated,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  keeping  it  down,  while  the  bow  of  the  boat,  by 
the  force  of  the  line,  was  drawn  down  to  the  level  of 
the  sea,  and  the  harpooner,  by  the  friction  of  the  line 
round  the  bollard,  was  enveloped  in  smoky  obscurity. 
At  length,  when  the  ship  was  scarcely  a  hundred  yards 
distant,  we  perceived  preparations  for  quitting  the  boat. 
The  sailors'  pea-jackets  were  cast  upon  the  adjoining 
ice ;  the  oars  were  thrown  down  ;  the  crew  leaped  over- 
board ;  the  bow  of  the  boat  was  buried  in  the  water ; 
the  stern  rose  perpendicular,  and  then  majestically  dis- 
appeared. The  harpooner  having  caused  the  end  of  the 
line  to  be  fastened  to  the  iron  ring  at  the  boat's  stern, 
was  the  means  of  its  loss;*  and  a  tongue  of  the  ice,  on 
which  wras  a  depth  of  several  feet  of  water,  kept  the 
boat,  by  the  pressure  of  the  line  against  it,  at  such  a 
considerable  distance  as  prevented  the  crew  from  leap- 
ing upon  the  floe.  Some  of  them  were,  therefore,  put  to 
the  necessity  of  swimming  for  their  preservation  ;  but 
all  of  them  succeeded  in  scrambling  upon  the  ice,  and 
were  taken  on  board  of  the  ship  a  few  minutes  after- 
wards. 

I  may  here  observe,  that  it  is  an  uucommon  circum- 
stance for  a  fish  to  require  more  than  two  boats'  lines 
in  such  a  situation.     None  of  our  harpooners,  therefore, 


*  "Giving  a  whale  the  hoat,"  as  the  voluntary  sacrifice  of  a  boat 
is  termed,  is  a  scheme  not  unfrequo ntly  practised  by  the  fisher  when 
in  want  of  line.  By  submitting  to  this  risk  he  expects  to  gain  the 
fish,  and  still  has  the  chance  of  recovering  his  boat  and  its  materials. 
It  is  only  practised  in  open  ice  or  at  fields 
17 


250  A   WHALE-CHASE. 

had  any  scruple  in  leaving  the  fast-boat,  never  suspect- 
ing, after  it  had  received  the  assistance  of  one  boat  with 
six  lines  or  upwards,  that  it  would  need  any  more. 

Several  ships  being  about  us,  there  was  a  possibility 
that  some  person  might  attack  and  make  a  prize  of  the 
whale,  when  it  had  so  far  escaped  us  that  we  no  longer 
retained  any  hold  of  it.  We  therefore  set  all  the  sail 
the  ship  could  safely  sustain,  and  worked  through  several 
narrow  and  intricate  channels  in  the  ice,  in  the  direction 
I  observed  the  fish  had  retreated.  After  a  little  time,  it 
was  descried  by  the  people  in  the  boats,  at  a  considerable 
distance  to  the  eastward  ;  a  general  chase  immediately 
commenced,  and  within  the  space  of  an  hour,  three  har- 
poons were  struck.  We  now  imagined  the  fish  was 
secure,  but  our  expectations  were  premature.  The 
whale  resolutely  pushed  beneath  a  large  floe  that  had 
been  recently  broken  to  pieces  by  the  swell,  and  soon 
drew  all  the  lines  out  of  the  second  fast-boat;  the  offi- 
cer of  which,  not  being  able  to  get  any  assistance,  tied 
the  end  of  his  line  to  a  hummock  of  ice  and  broke  it. 
Soon  afterwards,  the  other  two  boats,  still  fast,  were 
dragged  against  the  broken  floe,  when  one  of  the  har- 
poons drew  out.  The  lines  of  only  one  boat,  therefore, 
remained  fast  to  the  fish  ;  and  this,  with  six  or  eight 
lines  out,  was  dragged  forward  into  the  shattered  floe 
with  astonishing  force.  Pieces  of  ice,  each  of  which 
was  sufficiently  large  to  have  answered  the  purpose  of 
a  mooring  for  a  ship,  were  wheeled  about  by  the  strength 
of  the  whale :  and  such  was  the  tension  and  elasticity 
of  the  line,  that  whenever  it  slipped  clear  of  any  mass 
of  ice,  after  turning  it  round,  into  the  space  between 
any  two  adjoining  pieces,  the  boat  and  its  crew  flew 
forward  through  the  crack,  with  the  velocity  of  an  arrow, 
and  never  failed  to  launch  several  feet  upon  the  first 
mass  of  ice  that  it  encountered. 


A    WHALE-CHASE.  251 

While  we  scoured  the  sea  around  the  broken  floe  with 
the  ship,  and  while  the  ice  was  attempted  in  vain  by  the 
boats,  the  whale  continued  to  press  forward  in  an  east- 
erly direction  towards  the  sea.  At  length,  when  four- 
teen lines  (about  1680  fathoms)  were  drawn  from  the 
fourth  fast-boat,  a  slight  entanglement  of  the  line  broke 
it  at  the  stem.  The  fish  then  again  made  its  escape, 
taking  along  with  it  a  boat  and  twenty-eight  lines.  The 
united  length  of  the  lines  was  6720  yards,  or  upwards 
of  three  and  a  half  English  miles  ;  value,  with  the  boat, 
above  150/.  sterling. 

The  obstruction  of  the  sunken  boat  to  the  progress  of 
the  fish  must  have  been  immense ;  and  that  of  the  lines 
likewise  considerable,  the  weight  of  lines  alone  being 
thirty-five  hundredweight. 

So  long  as  the  fourth  fast-boat,  through  the  medium 
of  its  lines,  retained  its  hold  of  the  fish,  we  searched  the 
adjoining  sea  with  the  ship  in  vain;  but  in  a  short  time 
after  the  line  was  divided,  we  got  sight  of  the  object 
of  pursuit,  at  the  distance  of  nearly  two  miles  to  the 
eastward  of  the  ice  and  boats,  in  the  open  sea.  One 
boat  only  with  lines,  and  two  empty  boats,  were  re- 
served by  the  ship.  Having,  however,  fortunately,  fine 
weather,  and  a  fresh  breeze  of  wind, .we  immediately 
gave  chase  under  all  sail ;  though  it  must  be  confessed, 
with  the  insignificant  force  by  us,  the  distance  of  the 
fish,  and  the  rapidity  of  its  flight  considered,  we  had 
but  very  small  hopes  of  success.  At  length,  after  pur- 
suing it  five  or  six  miles,  being  at  least  nine  miles  from 
the  place  where  it  was  struck,  we  came  up  with  it, 
and  it  seemed  inclined  to  rest  after  its  extraordinary 
exertions.  The  two  dismantled  or  empty  boats  having 
been  furnished  with  two  lines  each  (a  very  inadequate 
supply),  they,  together  with  one  in  a  good  state  of 
equipment,  now  made  an  attack  upon  the  whale.    One 


252  A    WHALE-CHASE. 

of  the  harpooners  made  a  blunder ;  the  fish  saw  the 
boat,  took  the  alarm,  and  again  fled.  I  now  supposed 
it  would  be  seen  no  more ;  nevertheless,  we  chased 
nearly  a  mile  in  the  direction  I  imagined  it  had  taken, 
and  placed  the  boats,  to  the  best  of  my  judgment,  in 
the  most  advantageous  situations.  In  this  case,  we 
were  extremely  fortunate.  The  fish  rose  near  one  of  the 
boats,  and  was  immediately  harpooned.  In  a  few 
minutes,  two  more  harpoons  entered  its  back,  and  lances 
were  plied  against  it  with  vigour  and  success.  Ex- 
hausted by  its  amazing  exertions  to  escape,  it  yielded 
itself  at  length  to  its  fate,  received  the  piercing  wounds 
of  the  lances  without  resistance,  and  finally  died  with- 
out a  struggle.  Thus  terminated  with  success  an  attack 
upon  a  whale,  which  exhibited  the  most  uncommon  de- 
termination to  escape  from  its  pursuers,  seconded  by 
the  most  amazing  strength,  of  any  individual  whose 
capture  I  ever  witnessed.  After  all,  it  may  seem  sur- 
prising that  it  was  not  a  particularly  large  individual ; 
the  largest  lamina  of  whalebone  only  measuring  nine 
feet  six  inches,  while  those  affording  twelve  feet  bone 
are  not  uncommon.*  The  quantity  of  line  withdrawn 
from  the  different  boats  engaged  in  the  capture  was  sin- 
gularly great.  It  amounted,  altogether,  to  10,440  yards, 
or  nearly  six  English  miles.  Of  these,  thirteen  new 
lines  were  lost,  together  with  the  sunken  boat;  the 
harpoon  connecting  them  to  the  fish  having  dropt  out 
before  the  whale  was  killed. 

*  It  has  been  frequently  observed,  that  whales  of  this  size  are  the 
most  active  of  the  species  ;  and  that  those  of  very  large  growth  are 
in  general  captured  with  less  trouble. 


253 


ADVENTURES  OF  TWO  BROTHERS  DURING  THE 
AMERICAN  WAR. 

During  the  War  of  Independence,  many  deeds  of 
cruelty  were  perpetrated  on  the  borders  of  the  United 
States  adjoining  Canada.  Sir  John  Johnson  succeeded 
to  extensive  possessions  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  a  dis- 
trict in  the  state  of  New  York,  through  which  the  Mo- 
hawk flows.  When  the  war  fairly  broke  out,  he  natu- 
rally took  the  British  side ;  and  the  United  States' 
Congress  deemed  it  advisable  to  send  a  force  to  drive 
him  from  his  property.  This  was  accordingly  done  ; 
Sir  John  fled  into  Canada,  and  his  extensive  posses- 
sions were  confiscated. 

On  Sunday,  the  21st  of  May  1780,  about  four  years 
after  his  flight,  he  entered  the  north  part  of  Johnstown 
at  the  head  of  five  hundred  men,  composed  of  Europeans 
and  Indians.  He  had  penetrated  the  country  by  way 
of  Lake  Champlain  to  Crown  Point,  and  thence  through 
the  woods  to  the  Sacondaga  river  ;  and  having  marched 
during  the  night,  he  had  surrounded  the  village  before 
the  inhabitants  were  conscious  of  approaching  danger. 
Among  the  inhabitants  were  a  family  of  Dutch  descent, 
of  the  name  of  Sammons,  of  considerable  wealth  and 
respectability,  but  who,  at  an  early  period,  had  rendered 
themselves  obnoxious  to  Sir  John  by  the  bold  and  de- 
cided manner  in  which  they  had  taken  part  with  the 
Revolutionary  party.  These  were  now  all  made  prison- 
ers, along  with  others.  While  they  were  halting  the 
next  day,  the  elder  Sammons  applied  to  Sir  John  for 
an  interview,  which  was  granted  in  presence  of  his 
principal  officers.  On  inquiring  what  he  wanted,  Mr. 
Sammons  replied,  that  he  wished  to  be  released.     The 


254        ADVENTURES  OF  TWO  BROTHERS 

baronet  hesitated  ;  but  the  old  man  pressed  his  suit,  and 
reminded  Sir  John  of  former  scenes,  and  of  the  efforts 
of  friendship  which  he  himself  had  made  in  his  behalf. 
The  appeal  was  effectual,  and  the  old  gentleman  was 
set  at  liberty.  The  two  sons,  Jacob  and  Frederick, 
were  carried  into  captivity,  and  suffered  a  protracted 
and  severe  imprisonment,  of  which,  and  of  the  suffering 
they  endured  when  making  their  escape,  we  present  our 
readers  with  the  following  interesting  details,  extracted 
and  abridged  from  Stone's  "  Life  of  Brant." 

"  Governor  Clinton  was  at  Kingston  at  the  time  of 
the  invasion.  Hastening  to  Albany  on  the  first  rumour 
of  the  intelligence,  he  collected  such  militia  and  other 
forces  as  he  could  obtain,  and  moved  to  Lake  George 
with  a  view  to  intercept  Sir  John.  It  was  supposed  that 
the  course  of  the  enemy  might  possibly  lie  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Oswegatchie,  and  for  the  purpose  of  striking  him 
upon  such  a  march,  Colonel  Van  Shaick,  with  eight 
hundred  men,  followed  him  by  the  way  of  Johnstown. 
Descending  Lake  George  to  Ticonderoga,  the  Governor 
was  joined  by  a  body  of  militia  from  the  New  Hamp- 
shire grants.  But  all  was  of  no  use ;  the  invaders 
escaped — taking  to  their  batteaux,  probably,  at  Crown 
Point,  whence  they  proceeded  down  the  lake  to  St. 
John's.  The  captives  were  thence  transferred  to  the 
fortress  of  Chamblee. 

"  The  prisoners  at  this  fortress  numbered  about  forty. 
On  the  day  after  their  arrival,  Jacob  Sammons,  having 
taken  an  accurate  survey  of  the  garrison  and  the  faci- 
lities of  escape,  conceived  the  project  of  inducing  his 
fellow-prisoners  to  rise  upon  the  guards  and  obtain  their 
freedom.  The  garrison  was  weak  in  number,  and  the 
sentinels  less  vigilant  than  is  usual  among  good  soldiers. 
The  prison-doors  were  opened   once  a-day,  when  the 


DURING   THE    AMERICAN   WAR.  255 

prisoners  were  visited  by  the  proper  officer,  with  four  or 
five  soldiers.  Sammons  had  observed  where  the  arms 
of  the  guards  were  stacked  in  the  yard,  and  his  plan 
was,  that  some  of  the  prisoners  should  arrest  and  disarm 
the  visiting  guard  on  the  opening  of  the  door,  while  the 
residue  were  to  rush  forth,  seize  the  arms,  and  fight 
their  way  out.  The  proposition  was  acceded  to  by  his 
brother  Frederick  and  one  other  man  named  Van  Sluyck, 
but  was  considered  too  daring  by  the  great  body  of  the 
prisoners  to  be  undertaken.  It  was  therefore  abandoned, 
and  the  brothers  sought  afterward  only  for  a  chance  of 
escaping  by  themselves.  Within  three  days,  the  desired 
opportunity  occurred,  viz.  on  the  13th  of  June.  The 
prisoners  were  supplied  with  an  allowance  of  spruce 
beer,  for  which  two  of  their  number  were  detached  daily, 
to  bring  the  cask  from  the  brew-house,  under  a  guard  of 
five  men,  with  fixed  bayonets.  Having  reason  to  sup- 
pose that  the  arms  of  the  guards,  though  charged,  were 
not  primed,  the  brothers  so  contrived  matters  as  to  be 
taken  together  to  the  brewery  on  the  day  mentioned, 
with  an  understanding  that,  at  a  given  point,  they  were 
to  dart  from  the  guard  and  run  for  their  lives — believ- 
ing that  the  confusion  of  the  moment,  and  the  conse- 
quent delay  of  priming  their  muskets  by  the  guards, 
would  enable  them  to  escape  beyond  the  ordinary  range 
of  musket  shot.  The  project  was  boldly  executed.  At 
the  concerted  moment,  the  brothers  sprang  from  their 
conductors,  and  stretched  across  the  plain  with  great 
fleetness.  The  alarm  was  given,  and  the  whole  garrison 
was  soon  after  them  in  hot  pursuit.  Unfortunately  for 
Jacob,  he  fell  into  a  ditch  and  sprained  his  ancle.  Per- 
ceiving the  accident,  Frederick  turned  to  his  assistance, 
but  the  other  generously  admonished  him  to  secure  his 
own  flight  if  possible,  and  leave  him  to  the  chances  of 
war.     Recovering  from  his  fall,  and  regardless  of  the 


256         ADVENTURES  OF  TWO  BROTHERS 

accident,  Jacob  sprang  forward  again  with  as  much  ex- 
pedition as  possible  ;  but  finding  that  his  lameness  im- 
peded his  progress,  he  plunged  into  a  thick  clump  of 
shrubs  and  trees,  and  was  fortunate  enough  to  hide  him- 
self between  two  logs  before  the  pursuers  came  up. 
Twenty  or  thirty  shots  had  previously  been  fired  upon 
them,  but  without  effect.  In  consequence  of  the  smoke 
of  their  fire,  probably,  the  guards  had  not  observed 
Jacob  when  he  threw  himself  into  the  thicket,  and  sup- 
posing that,  like  his  brother,  he  had  passed  round  it, 
they  followed  on,  until  they  were  fairly  distanced  by 
Frederick,  of  whom  they  lost  sight  and  trace.  They 
returned  in  about  half  an  hour,  halting  by  the  bushes 
in  which  the  other  fugitive  was  sheltered,  and  so  near 
that  he  could  distinctly  hear  their  conversation.  The 
officer  in  command  was  Captain  Steele.  On  calling 
his  men  together,  some  were  swearing,  and  others 
laughing,  at  the  race  and  the  speed  of  the  i  long-legged 
Dutchmen,'  as  they  called  the  flying  prisoners.  The 
pursuit  being  abandoned,  the  guards  returned  to  the 
fort. 

"  The  brothers  had  agreed,  in  case  of  separation,  to 
meet  at  a  certain  spot  at  10  o'clock  that  night.  Of 
course,  Jacob  lay  ensconced  in  the  bushes  until  night 
had  dropped  her  sable  curtains,  and  until  he  supposed 
the  hour  had  arrived,  when  he  sallied  forth,  according  to 
the  antecedent  understanding.  But  time  did  not  move 
as  rapidly  on  that  evening  as  he  supposed.  He  waited 
upon  the  spot  designated,  and  called  aloud  for  Frederick, 
until  he  despaired  of  meeting  him,  and  prudence  for- 
bade his  remaining  any  longer.  It  subsequently 
appeared  that  he  was  too  early  on  the  ground,  and 
that  Frederick  made  good  his  appointment. 

"  Following  the  bank  of  the  Sorel,  Jacob  passed 
Fort  St.  John's  soon  after  daybreak  on  the  morning  of 


DURING   THE    AMERICAN    WAR.  257 

the  14th.  His  purpose  was  to  swim  the  river  at  that 
place,  and  pursue  his  course  homeward  through  the 
wilderness  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake  Champlain ; 
but  just  as  he  was  preparing  to  enter  the  water,  he 
descried  a  boat  approaching  from  below,  filled  with 
officers  and  soldiers  of  the  enemy.  They  were  already 
within  twenty  rods.  Concealing  himself  again  in  the 
woods,  he  resumed  his  journey  after  their  departure, 
but  had  not  proceeded  more  than  two  or  three  miles 
before  he  came  upon  a  party  of  several  hundred  men 
engaged  in  getting  out  timber  for  the  public  works  at 
the  fort.  To  avoid  these  he  was  obliged  to  describe  a 
wide  circuit,  in  the  course  of  which,  at  about  12  o'clock, 
he  came  to  a  small  clearing.  Within  the  enclosure 
was  a  house,  and  in  the  field  were  a  man  and  a  boy 
engaged  in  hoeing  potatoes.  They  were  at  that  moment 
called  to  dinner,  and  supposing  them  to  be  French,  who 
he  had  heard  were  rather  friendly  to  the  American  cause 
than  otherwise — incited  also  by  hunger  and  fatigue — 
he  made  bold  to  present  himself,  trusting  that  he  might 
be  invited  to  partake  of  their  hospitality.  But,  instead 
of  a  friend,  he  found  an  enemy.  On  making  known  his 
character,  he  was  roughly  received.  i  It  is  by  such 
villains  as  you  are,'  replied  the  forester,  'that  I  was 
obliged  to  fly  from  Lake  Champlain.'  The  rebels,  he 
added,  had  robbed  him  of  all  he  possessed,  and  he 
would  now  deliver  his  self-invited  guest  to  the  guard, 
which,  he  said,  was  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
distant.  Sammons  promptly  answered  him  that  '  that 
was  more  than  he  could  do.'  The  refugee  then  said  he 
would  go  for  the  guard  himself;  to  which  Sammons 
replied  that  he  might  act  as  he  pleased,  but  that  all  the 
men  in  Canada  should  not  make  him  again  a  prisoner. 
M  The  man  thereupon  returned  with  his  son  to  the 


258         ADVENTURES  OF  TWO  BROTHERS 

potato-field,  and  resumed  his  work ;  while  his  more 
compassionate  wife  gave  him  a  bowl  of  bread  and 
milk,  which  he  ate  sitting  on  the  threshold  of  the  door, 
to  guard  against  surprise.  While  in  the  house,  he  saw 
a  musket,  powder-horn,  and  bullet-pouch,  hanging 
against  the  wall,  of  which  he  determined,  if  possible, 
to  possess  himself,  that  he  might  be  able  to  procure 
food  during  the  long  and  solitary  march  before  him. 
On  retiring,  therefore,  he  travelled  only  far  enough  into 
the  woods  for  concealment, — returning  to  the  wood- 
man's house  in  the  evening,  for  the  purpose  of  obtain* 
ing  the  musket  and  ammunition.  But  he  was  again 
beset  by  imminent  peril.  Very  soon  after  he  entered 
the  house  the  sound  of  approaching  voices  was  heard, 
and  he  took  to  the  rude  chamber  for  security,  where  he 
lay  flat  upon  the  irregular  floor,  and,  looking  through 
the  interstices,  saw  eleven  soldiers  enter,  who,  it  soon 
appeared,  came  for  milk.  His  situation  was  now  ex- 
ceedingly critical.  The  churlish  proprietor  might  inform 
against  him,  or  a  single  movement  might  betray  him. 
But  neither  circumstance  occuired.  The  unwelcome 
visitors  departed  in  due  time,  and  the  family  all  retired 
to  bed,  excepting  the  wife,  who,  as  Jacob  descended 
from  the  chamber,  refreshed  him  with  another  bowl  of 
bread  and  milk.  The  good  woman  now  earnestly  en- 
treated her  guest  to  surrender  himself  and  join  the  ranks 
of  the  king,  assuring  him  that  his  majesty  must  cer- 
tainly conquer  in  the  end,  in  which  case  the  rebels 
would  lose  all  their  property,  and  many  of  them  be 
hanged  into  the  bargain.  But  to  such  a  proposition  he 
of  course  would  not  listen.  Finding  all  her  efforts  to 
convert  a  whig  into  a  tory  fruitless,  she  then  told  him, 
that  if  he  would  secrete  himself  two  days  longer  in 
the  woods  she  would  furnish  him  with  some  provisions, 


DURING    THE    AMERICAN    WAR.  259 

for  a  supply  of  which  her  husband  was  going-  to  the 
fort  next  day,  and  she  would  likewise  endeavour  to  pro- 
vide him  with  a  pair  of  shoes. 

"  Disinclined  to  linger  so  long  in  the  country  of  the 
enemy  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a  British  post,  how- 
ever, he  took  his  departure  forthwith.  But  such  had 
been  the  kindness  of  the  good  woman,  that  he  had  it 
not  in  his  heart  to  seize  upon  her  husband's  arms,  and 
he  left  this  wild  scene  of  rustic  hospitality  without 
supplies  or  the  means  of  procuring  them.  Arriving 
once  more  at  the  water's  edge,  at  the  lower  end  of  Lake 
Champlain,  he  came  upon  a  hut,  within  which,  on  cau- 
tiously approaching  it  for  reconnoisance,  he  discovered 
a  party  of  soldiers  all  sound  asleep.  Their  canoe  was 
moored  by  the  shore,  into  which  he  sprang,  and  paddled 
himself  up  the  lake  under  the  most  encouraging  pros- 
pect of  a  speedy  and  comparatively  easy  voyage  to  its 
head,  whence  his  return  home  would  be  unattended 
with  either  difficulty  or  danger.  But  his  pleasing  an- 
ticipations were  extinguished  on  the  night  following,  as 
he  approached  the  Isle  aux  Nois,  where  he  descried  a 
fortification,  and  the  glitter  of  bayonets  bristling  in  the 
air  as  the  moonbeams  played  upon  the  burnished  arms 
of  the  sentinels,  who  were  pacing  their  tedious  rounds. 
The  lake  beirg  very  narrow  at  this  point,  and  perceiv- 
ing that  both  sides  were  fortified,  he  thought  the  attempt 
to  shoot  his  canoe  through  between  them  rather  too 
hazardous  an  experiment.  His  only  course,  therefore, 
was  to  run  ashore,  and  resume  his  travels  on  foot. 
Nor  on  landing  was  his  case  in  any  respect  enviable. 
Without  shoes,  without  food,  and  without  the  means  of 
obtaining  either,  a  long  journey  before  him  through  a 
deep  and  trackless  wilderness,  it  may  be  well  imagined 
that  his  mind  was  not  cheered  by  the  most  agreeable 
anticipations.     But  without  pausing   to  indulge  unne- 


260         ADVENTURES  OF  TWO  BROTHERS 

cessarily  his  '  thick-coming  fancies,'  he  commenced  his 
solitary  journey,  directing  his  course  along  the  eastern 
lake  shore  toward  Albany.  During  the  first  four  days 
of  his  progress,  he  subsisted  entirely  upon  the  hark  of 
the  birch,  chewing  the  twigs  as  he  went.  On  the  fourth 
day,  while  resting  by  a  brook,  he  heard  a  rippling  of 
the  water,  caused  by  the  fish  as  they  were  stemming  its 
current.  He  succeeded  in  catching  a  few  of  these,  but 
having  no  means  of  striking  a  fire,  after  devouring  one 
of  them  raw,  the  others  were  thrown  away. 

"  His  feet  were  by  this  time  cruelly  cut,  bruised,  and 
torn  by  thorns,  briers,  and  stones ;  and  while  he  could 
scarcely  proceed  by  reason  of  their  soreness,  hunger  and 
fatigue  united  to  retard  his  cheerless  march.  On  the 
fifth  day  his  miseries  were  augmented  by  the  hungry 
swarms  of  musquitoes,  which  settled  upon  him  in  clouds 
while  traversing  a  swamp.  On  the  same  day,  he  fell 
upon  the  nest  of  a  black  duck — the  duck  sitting  quietly 
upon  her  eggs  until  he  came  up  and  caught  her.  The 
bird  was  no  sooner  deprived  of  her  life  and  her  feathers 
than  he  devoured  the  whole,  including  the  head  and  feet. 
The  eggs  were  nine  in  number,  which  Sammons  took 
with  him  ;  but  on  opening  one,  he  found  a  little  half- 
made  duckling,  already  alive.  Against  such  food  his 
stomach  revolted,  and  he  was  obliged  to  throw  the  eggs 
away. 

"  On  the  tenth  day  he  came  to  a  small  lake.  His 
feet  were  now  in  such  a  horrible  state,  that  he  could 
scarcely  crawl  along.  Finding  a  mitigation  of  pain  by 
bathing  them  in  water,  he  plunged  his  feet  into  the 
lake,  and  lay  down  upon  its  margin.  For  a  time,  it 
seemed  as  though  he  could  never  rise  upon  his  feet 
again.  Worn  down  by  hunger  and  fatigue — bruised  in 
body  and  wounded  in  spirit — in  a  lone  wilderness, 
with  no  eye  to  pity,  and  no  human  arm  to  protect — he 


DURING    THE    AMERICAN   WAR.  261 

felt  as  though  he  must  remain  in  that  spot  until  it 
should  please  God  in  his  goodness  to  quench  the  dim 
spark  of  life  that  remained.  Still  he  was  comforted, 
in  some  measure,  by  the  thought  that  he  was  in  the 
hands  of  a  Being  without  whose  knowledge  not  a  spar- 
row falls  to  the  ground. 

*«  Refreshed,  at  length,  though  to  a  trifling  degree, 
he  resumed  his  weary  way,  when,  on  raising  his  right 
leg  over  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree,  he  was  bitten  in  the 
calf  by  a  rattlesnake  !  Quick  as  a  flash,  wdth  his  pocket- 
knife  he  made  an  incision  in  his  leg,  removing  the 
wounded  flesh  to  a  greater  depth  than  the  fangs  of  the 
serpent  had  penetrated.  His  next  business  was  to  kill 
the  venomous  reptile  and  dress  it  for  eating,  thus  ap- 
propriating the  enemy  that  had  sought  to  take  his  life 
to  its  prolongation.  His  first  meal  was  made  from  the 
heart  and  fat  of  the  serpent.  Feeling  somewhat  strength- 
ened by  the  repast,  and  finding,  moreover,  that  he  could 
not  travel  farther  in  his  present  condition,  he  deter- 
mined to  remain  where  he  was  for  a  few  days,  and  by 
repose,  and  feeding  upon  the  body  of  the  snake,  recruit 
his  strength.  Discovering,  also,  a  dry  fungus  upon 
the  trunk  of  a  maple  tree,  he  succeeded  in  striking  a 
fire,  by  which  his  comforts  were  essentially  increased. 
Still  he  was  obliged  to  creep  upon  his  hands  and  knees 
to  gather  fuel,  and  on  the  third  day  he  was  yet  in  such 
a  state  of  exhaustion  as  to  be  utterly  unable  to  pro- 
ceed. Supposing  that  death  was  inevitable  and  very 
near,  he  crawled  to  the  foot  of  a  tree,  upon  the  bark  of 
which  he  commenced  inscribing  his  name,  in  the  ex- 
pectation that  he  should  leave  his  bones  there,  and  in 
the  hope  that,  in  some  way,  by  the  aid  of  the  inscrip- 
tion, his  family  might  ultimately  be  apprised  of  his 
fate.  While  engaged  in  this  sad  work,  a  cloud  of 
painful  thoughts  crowded  upon  his  mind ;  the  tears  in- 


262  ADVENTURES    OF   TWO    BROTHERS 

voluntarily  stole  down  his   cheeks,  and  before  he  had 
completed  the  melancholy  task  he  fell  asleep. 

"  On  the  fourth  day  of  his  residence  at  this  place  he 
began  to  gain  strength,  and  as  a  part  of  the  serpent 
yet  remained,  he  determined  upon  another  effort  to  re- 
sume his  journey.  But  he  could  not  do  so  without 
devising  some  substitute  for  shoes.  For  this  purpose 
he  cut  up  his  hat  and  waistcoat,  binding  them  upon 
his  feet,  and  thus  he  hobbled  along.  On  the  following 
night,  while  lying  in  the  woods,  he  became  strongly 
impressed  with  a  belief  that  he  was  not  far  distant 
from  a  human  habitation.  He  had  seen  no  indications 
of  proximity  to  the  abode  of  man ;  but  he  was,  never- 
theless, so  confident  of  the  fact  that  he  wept  for  joy. 
Buoyed  up  and  strengthened  by  this  impression,  he  re- 
sumed his  journey  on  the  following  morning ;  and  in 
the  afternoon,  it  being  the  28th  of  June,  he  reached  a 
house  in  the  town  of  Pittsford,  in  the  New  Hampshire 
grants,  now  forming  the  state  of  Vermont.  He  re- 
mained there  for  several  days,  both  to  recruit  his  health, 
and,  if  possible,  to  gain  intelligence  of  his  brother. 
But  no  tidings  came ;  and  as  he  knew  Frederick  to  be 
a  capital  woodsman,  he  of  course  concluded  that  sick- 
ness, death,  or  recapture,  must  have  interrupted  his 
journey.  Procuring  a  conveyance  at  Pittsford,  Jacob 
travelled  to  Albany,  and  thence  to  Schenectady,  where 
he  had  the  happiness  of  finding  his  wife  and  family." 

"  Not  less  interesting,  nor  marked  by  fewer  vicissi- 
tudes, were  the  adventures  of  Frederick  Sammons. 
The  flight  from  the  fort  at  Chamblee  was  made  just  be- 
fore sunset,  which  accounts  for  the  chase  having  been 
abandoned  so  soon.  On  entering  the  edge  of  the 
woods,  Frederick  encountered  a  party  of  Indians  re- 
turning to  the  fort  from  fatigue  duty.     Perceiving  that 


DURING    THE    AMERICAN    WAR.  263 

he  was  a  fugitive,  they  fired,  and  called  cut,  '  We 
have  got  him  V  In  this  opinion,  however,  they  were 
mistaken ;  for  although  he  had  run  close  upon  them 
before  perceiving  them,  yet  being,  like  Asahel  of  old, 
swift  cf  foot,  by  turning  a  short  corner  and  increasing 
his  speed,  in  ten  minutes  he  was  entirely  clear  of  the 
party.  He  then  sat  down  to  rest,  the  blood  gushing 
from  his  nose  in  consequence  of  the  extent  to  which  his 
physical  powers  had  been  taxed.  At  the  time  ap- 
pointed, he  also  had  repaired  to  the  point  which,  at  his 
separation  from  Jacob,  had  been  agreed  upon  as  the 
place  of  meeting.  The  moon  shone  brightly,  and  he 
called  loud  and  often  for  his  brother — so  loud,  indeed, 
that  the  guard  was  turned  out  in  consequence.  His 
anxiety  was  very  great  for  his  brother's  safety  ;  but,  in 
ignorance  of  his  situation,  he  was  obliged  to  attend  to 
his  own.  He  determined,  however,  to  approach  the 
fort — as  near  to  it,  at  least,  as  he  could  venture  ;  and 
in  the  event  of  meeting  any  one,  disguise  his  own  cha- 
racter by  inquiring  whether  the  rebels  had  been  taken. 
But  a  flash  from  the  sentinel's  musket,  the  report,  and 
the  noise  of  a  second  pursuit,  ccmpelled  him  to  change 
the  direction  of  his  march,  and  proceed  again  with  all 
possible  speed.  It  had  been  determined  by  the  bro- 
thers to  cross  the  Sorel,  and  return  to  the  east  side  of 
the  river  and  lake ;  but  there  was  a  misunderstanding 
between  them  as  to  the  point  of  crossing  the  river, — 
whether  above  or  below  the  fort.  Hence  their  failure 
of  meeting.  Frederick  repaired  to  what  he  supposed 
to  be  the  designated  place  of  crossing,  below  the  fort, 
where  he  lingered  for  his  brother  until  near  morning. 
At  length,  having  found  a  boat,  he  crossed  over  to  the 
eastern  shore,  and  landed  just  at  the  cock-crowing.  He 
proceeded  directly  to  the  barn  where  he  supposed  chan- 
ticleer had  raised   his  voice,  but  found  not  a  fowl  on 


264         ADVENTURES  OF  TWO  BROTHERS 

the  premises.  The  sheep  looked  too  poor  by  the  dim 
twilight  to  serve  his  purpose  of  food ;  but  a  bullock 
presenting  a  more  favourable  appearance,  Frederick 
succeeded  in  cutting  the  unsuspecting  animal's  throat, 
and  severing  one  of  the  hind  quarters  from  the  carcass, 
he  shouldered  and  marched  off  with  it  directly  into  the 
forest.  Having  proceeded  to  a  safe  and  convenient  dis- 
tance, he  stopped  to  dress  his  beef,  cutting  off  what 
he  supposed  would  be  sufficient  for  the  journey,  and 
forming  a  knapsack  from  the  skin,  by  the  aid  of  bark 
peeled  from  the  moose-wood. 

M  Resuming  his  journey,  he  arrived  at  the  house  of  a 
French  family,  within  the  distance  of  five  or  six  miles. 
Here  he  made  bold  to  enter,  for  the  purpose  of  procur- 
ing bread  and  salt,  and  in  the  hope  also  of  obtaining  a 
gun  and  ammunition.  But  he  could  neither  obtain  pro- 
visions, nor  make  the  people  understand  a  word  he 
uttered.  He  found  means,  however,  to  prepare  some 
tinder,  with  which  he  re-entered  the  woods,  and  hast- 
ened forward  in  a  southern  direction,  until  he  had  as- 
certained, by  the  firing  of  the  evening  guns,  that  he 
had  passed  St.  John's.  Halting  for  the  night,  he  struck 
a  light ;  and  having  kindled  a  fire,  occupied  himself 
until  morning  in  drying  and  smoking  his  beef,  cutting 
it  into  slices  for  that  purpose.  His  knapsack  of  raw 
hide  was  cured  by  the  same  process.  Thus  prepared, 
he  proceeded  onward  without  interruption  or  adventure 
until  the  third  day,  when  he  killed  a  fawn,  and  secured 
the  venison.  He  crossed  the  Winooski,  or  Onion 
river,  on  the  next  day ,  and  having  discovered  a  man's 
name  carved  upon  a  tree,  together  with  the  distance 
from  the  lake  (Champlain),  eight  miles,  he  bent  his 
course  for  its  shores,  where  he  found  a  canoe  with  pad- 
dles. There  was  now  a  prospect  of  lessening  the  fa- 
tigue of  his  journey;   but  his  canoe  had  scarce  begun 


DURING  THE  AMERICAN  WAR.  265 

to  dance  upon  the  waters  ere  it  parted  asunder,  and  he 
was  compelled  to  hasten  ashore,  and  continue  his  march 
by  land. 

"  At  the  close  of  the  seventh  day,  and  when,  as  he  sup- 
posed, he  was  within  two  days'  travel  of  a  settlement, 
he  kindled  his  fire,  and  lay  down  to  rest  in  fine  health 
and  spirits.  But  ere  the  dawn  of  day,  he  awoke  with 
racking  pains,  which  proved  to  be  an  attack  of  pleurisy. 
A  drenching  rain  came  on,  continuing  three  days,  during 
which  time  he  lay  helpless,  in  dreadful  agony,  without 
fire,  or  shelter,  or  sustenance  of  any  kind.  On  the  fourth 
day,  his  pain  having  abated,  he  attempted  to  eat  a  mor- 
sel ;  but  his  provisions  had  become  too  offensive  to  be 
swallowed.  His  thirst  being  intense,  he  fortunately  dis- 
covered a  pond  of  water  near  by,  to  which  he  crawled. 
It  was  a  stagnant  pool,  swarming  with  frogs :  another 
providential  circumstance,  inasmuch  as  the  latter  served 
him  for  food.  Too  weak,  however,  to  strike  a  light,  he 
was  compelled  to  devour  them  raw,  and  without  dress- 
ing of  any  kind.  Unable  to  proceed,  he  lay  in  this 
wretched  condition  fourteen  days.  Supposing  that  he 
should  die  there,  he  succeeded  in  hanging  his  hat  upon 
a  pole,  with  a  few  papers,  in  order  that,  if  discovered, 
his  fate  might  be  known.  He  was  lying  upon  a  high 
bluff,  in  full  view  of  the  lake,  and  at  no  great  distance 
therefrom.  The  hat  thus  elevated  served  as  a  signal, 
which  saved  his  life.  A  vessel  sailing  past  descried 
the  hat,  and  sent  a  boat  ashore  to  ascertain  the  cause. 
The  boatmen  discovered  the  body  of  a  man,  yet  living, 
but  senseless  and  speechless,  and  transferred  him  to  the 
vessel.  By  the  aid  of  medical  attendance,  he  was  slowly 
restored  to  his  reason,  and  having  informed  the  captain 
who  he  was,  had  the  rather  uncomfortable  satisfaction 
of  learning  that  he  was  on  board  of  an  enemy's  ship, 
and  at  that  moment  lying  at  Crown  Point.  Here  he 
18 


266  ADVENTURES  OF  TWO  BROTHERS 

remained  sixteen  days,  in  the  course  of  which  time  he 
had  the  gratification  to  hear,  from  a  party  of  tories  com- 
ing from  the  settlements,  that  his  brother  Jacob  had  ar- 
rived safely  at  Schenectady,  and  joined  his  family.  He 
was  also  apprised  of  Jacob's  sufferings,  and  of  the  bite 
of  the  serpent,  which  took  place  near  Otter  Creek,  close 
by  the  place  where  he  had  himself  been  so  long  sick. 
The  brothers  were  therefore  near  together  at  the  time  of 
the  greatest  peril  and  endurance  of  both. 

"  Frederick's  recovery  was  very  slow.  Before  he  was 
able  to  walk,  he  was  taken  to  St.  John's,  and  thence, 
partly  on  a  wheelbarrow,  and  partly  in  a  calash,  carried 
back  to  his  old  quarters  at  Chamblee — experiencing 
much  rough  usage  by  the  way.  On  arriving  at  the  for- 
tress, the  guards  saluted  him  by  the  title  of  '  Captain 
Lightfoot,'  and  there  was  great  joy  at  his  recapture.  It 
was  now  about  the  1st  of  August.  As  soon  as  his  health 
was  sufficiently  recovered  to  bear  it,  he  was  heavily 
ironed,  and  kept  in  close  confinement  at  that  place  until 
October  1781 — fourteen  months — without  once  behold- 
ing the  light  of  the  sun.  Between  St.  John's  and 
Chamblee  he  had  been  met  by  a  British  officer  with 
whom  he  was  acquainted,  and  by  whom  he  was  in- 
formed that  severe  treatment  would  be  his  portion. 
Compassionating  his  situation,  however,  the  officer 
slipped  a  guinea  and  a  couple  of  dollars  into  his  hands, 
and  they  moved  on. 

"  No  other  prisoners  were  in  irons  at  Chamblee,  and 
all  but  Sammons  were  taken  upon  the  parade  ground 
twice  a-week,  for  the  benefit  of  fresh  air.  The  irons 
were  so  heavy  and  so  tight  as  to  wear  into  the  flesh  of 
his  legs ;  and  so  incensed  was  Captain  Steele,  the  offi- 
cer of  the  3 2d  regiment,  yet  commanding  the  garrison 
at  Chamblee,  at  the  escape  of  his  prisoner,  that  he  would 
not  allow  the  surgeon  to  remove  the  irons  to  dress  the 


DURING   THE    AMERICAN    WAR.  267 

wounds  of  which  they  were  the  cause,  until  a  peremp- 
tory order  was  procured  for  that  purpose  from  General 
St.  Keger,  who  was  then  at  St.  John's.  The  humanity 
of  the  surgeon  prompted  this  application  of  his  own 
accord.  Even  then,  however,  Steele  would  only  allow 
the  leg-bolts  to  be  knocked  off — still  keeping  on  the 
hand -cuffs.  The  dressing  of  his  legs  was  a  severe 
operation.  The  iron  had  eaten  to  the  bone,  and  the 
gangrened  flesh  was  of  course  to  be  removed.  One  of 
the  legs  ultimately  healed  up,  but  the  other  never  got 
entirely  well. 

"  In  the  month  of  November  1781,  the  prisoners  were 
transferred  from  Chamblee  to  an  island  in  the  St.  Law- 
rence, called  at  that  time  Prison  Island — situated  in 
the  rapids  some  distance  above  Montreal.  Sammons 
was  compelled  to  travel  in  his  hand-cuffs,  but  the  other 
prisoners  were  not  thus  encumbered.  There  were  about 
two  hundred  prisoners  on  the  island,  all  of  whom  were 
very  closely  guarded.  In  the  spring  of  1782,  Sammons 
organized  a  conspiracy  with  nine  of  his  fellow-prisoners, 
to  make  their  escape,  by  seizing  a  provision- boat,  and 
had  well  nigh  effected  their  object.  Being  discovered, 
however,  their  purpose  was  defeated,  and  Sammons,  as 
the  ringleader,  once  more  placed  in  irons;  but  at  the 
end  of  five  weeks  the  irons  were  removed,  and  he  was 
allowed  to  return  to  his  hut. 

"Impatient  of  such  protracted  captivity,  Frederick 
was  still  bent  on  escape,  for  which  purpose  he  induced 
a  fellow-prisoner,  by  the  name  of  M'Mullen,  to  join  him 
in  the  daring  exploit  of  seeking  an  opportunity  to  plunge 
into  the  river,  and  taking  their  chance  of  swimming  to 
the  shore.  A  favourable  moment  for  attempting  the 
bold  adventure  was  afforded  on  the  17th  of  August. 
The  prisoners  having,  to  the  number  of  fifty,  been  al- 
lowed to  walk  to  the  foot  of  the  island,  but  around  the 


268         ADVENTURES  OF  TWO  BROTHERS 

whole  of  which  a  chain  of  sentinels  was  extended,  Sam- 
mons  and  M'Mullen,  without  having  conferred  with  any 
one  else,  watching  an  opportunity  when  the  nearest  sen- 
tinel turned  his  back  upon  them,  quietly  glided  down 
beneath  a  shelving  rock,  and  plunged  into  the  stream — 
each  holding  up  and  waving  a  hand  in  token  of  farewell 
to  their  fellow-prisoners,  as  the  surge  swept  them  rapidly 
down  the  stream.  The  sentinel  was  distant  about  six 
rods  when  they  threw  themselves  into  the  river,  and  did 
not  discover  their  escape  until  they  were  beyond  the 
reach  of  any  molestation  he  could  offer  them.  Three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  below  the  island,  the  rapids  were  such 
as  to  heave  the  river  into  swells  too  large  for  boats  to 
encounter.  This  was  a  frightful  part  of  their  voyage ; 
both,  however,  were  expert  swimmers,  and  by  diving  as 
they  approached  each  successive  surge,  both  succeeded 
in  making  the  perilous  passage — the  distance  of  this 
rapid  being  about  150  rods.  As  they  plunged  succes- 
sively into  these  rapids,  they  had  little  expectation  of 
meeting  each  other  again  in  this  world ;  but  a  protect- 
ing Providence  ordered  it  otherwise,  and  they  emerged 
from  the  frightful  billows  quite  near  together.  '  I  am 
glad  to  see  you,'  said  Sammons  to  his  friend  ;  '  I  feared 
we  should  not  meet  again.'  '  We  have  had  a  merry 
ride  of  it,'  replied  the  other;  'but  we  could  not  have 
stood  it  much  longer.' 

"  The  adventurous  fellows  attempted  to  land  about 
two  miles  below  the  island,  but  the  current  was  so  vio- 
lent as  to  baffle  their  purpose,  and  they  were  driven  two 
miles  farther,  where  they  happily  succeeded  in  reaching 
the  land,  at  a  place  on  the  north  side  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
called  by  the  Canadians  '  The  Devil's  Point.'  A  clus- 
ter of  houses  stood  near  the  river,  into  some  of  which  it 
was  necessary  the  fugitives  should  go  to  procure  provi- 
sions.   They  had  preserved  each  a  knife  and  tinder-box 


DURING   THE    AMERICAN   WAR.  269 

in  their  waistcoat  pockets,  and  one  of  the  first  objects, 
after  arming  themselves  with  substantial  clubs,  was  to 
procure  a  supply  of  tinder.  This  was  effected  by  boldly 
entering  a  house,  and  rummaging  an  old  lady's  work-bas- 
ket. The  good  woman,  frightened  at  the  appearance  of 
the  visitors,  ran  out  and  alarmed  the  village,  the  inha- 
bitants of  which  were  French.  In  the  mean  time  they 
searched  the  house  for  provisions,  fire-arms,  and  ammu- 
nition, but  found  none  of  the  latter,  and  only  a  single 
loaf  of  bread.  They  also  plundered  the  house  of  a 
blanket,  blanket-coat,  and  a  few  other  articles  of  cloth- 
ing. By  this  time  the  people  began  to  collect  in  such 
numbers,  that  a  precipitate  retreat  was  deemed  advisable. 
M'Mullen,  being  seized  by  two  Canadians,  was  only 
released  from  their  grasp,  by  the  well-directed  blows  of 
Frederick's  club.  They  both  then  commenced  running 
for  the  woods,  when  Sammons,  encumbered  with  his  lug- 
gage, unluckily  fell,  and  the  loaf  rolled  away  from  him. 
The  peasants  now  rushed  upon  them,  and  their  only 
course  was  to  give  battle,  which  they  prepared  to  do  in 
earnest;  whereupon,  seeing  their  resolution,  the  pursuers 
retreated  almost  as  rapidly  as  they  had  advanced.  This 
demonstration  gave  the  fugitives  time  to  collect  and 
arrange  their  plunder,  and  commence  their  travels  anew. 
Taking  to  the  woods,  they  found  a  resting-place,  where 
they  halted  until  nightfall.  They  then  sallied  forth 
once  more  in  search  of  provisions,  with  which  it  was 
necessary  to  provide  themselves  before  crossing  to  the 
south  side  of  the  river,  where  at  that  day  there  were  no 
settlements.  The  cattle  fled  at  their  approach ;  but  they 
at  length  came  upon  a  calf  in  a  farmyard,  which  they 
captured,  and  appropriating  to  their  own  use  and  beboaf 
a  canoe  moored  in  the  river,  they  embarked  with  their 
prize,  to  cross  over  to  the  southern  shore.  But,  alas  ! 
when  in  the  middle  of  the  stream  their  paddle  broke, 


270         ADVENTURES  OF  TWO  BROTHERS. 

and  they  were  in  a  measure  left  to  the  mercy  of  the  flood, 
which  was  hurrying  them  onward,  as  they  very  well 
knew,  towards  the  rapids  or  falls  of  the  Cedars.  There 
was  an  island  above  the  rapids,  from  the  brink  of  which 
a  tree  had  fallen  into  the  river.  Fortunately,  the  canoe 
was  swept  by  the  current  into  the  branches  of  this  tree- 
top,  among  which  it  became  entangled.  While  strug- 
gling in  this  predicament  the  canoe  was  upset;  being 
near  the  shore,  however,  the  navigators  got  to  land  with- 
out losing  their  calf.  Striking  a  fire  they  now  dressed 
their  veal,  and  on  the  following  morning,  by  towing  their 
canoe  along  shore  round  to  the  south  edge  of  the  island, 
succeeded  in  crossing  to  their  own  side  of  the  river. 
They  then  plunged  directly  into  the  unbroken  forest, 
extending  from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  Sacondaga, 
and,  after  a  journey  of  twelve  days  of  excessive  hard- 
ship, emerged  from  the  woods  within  six  miles  of  the 
point  for  which,  without  chart  or  compass,  Sammons  had 
laid  his  course.  Their  provisions  lasted  but  a  few  days, 
and  their  only  subsequent  food  consisted  of  roots  and 
herbs.  The  whole  journey  was  made  almost  in  a  state 
of  nudity,  both  being  destitute  of  pantaloons.  Having 
worn  out  their  hats  upon  their  feet,  the  last  three  days 
they  were  compelled  to  travel  barefooted.  Long  before 
their  journey  was  ended,  therefore,  their  feet  were 
dreadfully  lacerated  and  swollen.  On  arriving  at  Sche- 
nectady, the  inhabitants  were  alarmed  at  their  wild  and 
savage  appearance — half  naked,  with  lengthened  beards 
and  matted  hair.  The  people  at  length  gathered  round 
them  with  strange  curiosity ;  but  when  they  made  them- 
selves known,  a  lady  named  Ellis  rushed  through  the 
crowd  to  grasp  the  hand  of  Frederick,  and  was  so 
much  affected  at  his  altered  appearance  that  she  fainted 
and  fell.  The  welcome  fugitives  were  forthwith  sup- 
plied with  whatever  of  food  and  raiment  was  necessary; 


the  Indian's  tale.  *271 

and  young  Sammons  learned  that  his  father  and  family 
had  removed  back  to  Marbletown,  in  the  county  of  Ul- 
ster, whence  he  had  previously  emigrated  to  Johnstown." 


THE  INDIAN'S  TALE. 

It  was  generally  believed  by  the  first  settlers  of  New  England,  that 
a  mortal  pestilence  had,  a  short  time  previous  to  their  arrival,  in  a 
great  measure  depopulated  some  of  the  finest  portions  of  the  coun- 
try on  the  seaboard.  The  Indians  themselves  corroborated  this 
opinion,  and  gave  the  English  a  terrific  description  of  the  ravages 
of  the  unseen  Destroyer. 

The  war-god  did  not  wake  to  strife 

The  strong  men  of  our  forest-land; 
No  red  hand  grasped  the  battle-knife 

At  Areouski's  high  command  : — 
We  held  no  war-dance  by  the  dim 

And  red  light  of  the  creeping  flame ; 
Nor  warrior-yell,  nor  battle-hymn, 

Upon  the  midnight  breezes  came. 

There  was  no  portent  in  the  sky, 

No  shadow  on  the  round  bright  sun ; 
With  light,  and  mirth,  and  melody, 

The  long,  fair  summer  days  came  on. 
We  were  a  happy  people  then, 

Rejoicing  in  our  hunter  mood  ; 
No  foot-prints  of  the  pale-faced  men 

Had  marred  our  forest  solitude. 

The  land  was  ours — this  glorious  land — 
With  all  its  wealth  of  wood  and  streams — 

Our  warriors  strong  of  heart  and  hand — 
Our  daughters  beautiful  as  dreams. 


272  the  Indian's  tale. 

When  wearied,  at  the  thirsty  noon, 

We  knelt  us  where  the  spring-  gushed  up, 

To  taste  our  Father's  blessed  boon — 
Unlike  the  white  man's  poison  cup. 

There  came  unto  my  father's  hut 

A  wan,  weak  creature  of  distress  ; 
The  red  man's  door  is  never  shut 

Against  the  lone  and  shelterless  ; 
And  when  he  knelt  before  his  feet, 

My  father  led  the  stranger  in ; 
He  gave  him  of  his  hunter-meat — 

Alas  !  it  was  a  deadly  sin  ! 

The  stranger's  voice  was  not  like  ours — 

His  face  at  first  was  sadly  pale, 
Anon  'twas  like  the  yellow  flowers, 

Which  tremble  in  the  meadow  gale. 
And  when  he  laid  him  down  to  die, 

And  murmured  of  his  father  land, 
My  mother  wiped  his  tearful  eye, 

My  father  held  his  burning  hand  ! 

He  died  at  last — the  funeral  yell 

Rang  upward  from  his  burial  sod, 
And  the  old  Powwah  knelt  to  tell 

The  tidings  to  the  white  man's  God  ! 
The  next  day  came — my  father's  brow 

Grew  heavy  with  a  fearful  pain ; 
He  did  not  take  his  hunting  bow — 

He  never  sought  the  woods  again  ! 

He  died  even  as  the  white  man  died — 
My  mother  she  was  smitten  too — 

My  sisters  vanished  from  my  side, 
Like  diamonds  from  the  sun-lit  dew. 


the  Indian's  tale.  273 

And  then  we  heard  the  Powwahs  say, 

That  God  had  sent  his  angel  forth, 
To  sweep  our  ancient  tribes  away, 

And  poison  and  unpeople  earth. 

And  it  was  so — from  day  to  day 

The  spirit  of  the  plague  went  on, 
And  those  at  morning  blithe  and  gay, 

Were  dying  at  the  set  of  sun. — 
They  died — our  free,  bold  hunters  died — 

The  living  might  not  give  them  graves — 
Save  when,  along  the  water-side, 

They  cast  them  to  the  hurrying  waves. 

The  carrion-crow,  the  ravenous  beast, 

Turned  loathing  from  the  ghastly  dead ; — 
Well  might  they  shun  the  funeral  feast 

By  that  destroying  angel  spread  ! 
One  after  one,  the  red  men  fell ; 

Our  gallant  war-tribe  passed  away — 
And  I  alone  am  left  to  tell 

The  story  of  its  swift  decay. 

Alone — alone — a  withered  leaf — 

Yet  clinging  to  its  naked  bough; 
The  pale  race  scorn  the  aged  chief, 

And  I  will  join  my  fathers  now. 
The  spirits  of  my  people  bend 

At  midnight  from  the  solemn  west, 
To  me  their  kindly  arms  extend — 

They  call  me  to  their  home  of  rest ! 

J.  G.  Whittier. 


274 


ODE  ON  VISITING  FLODDEN. 


Green  Flodden  !    on  thy  blood-stain'd  head 
Descend  no  rain  nor  vernal  dew ; 

But  still,  thou  charnel  of  the  dead, 

May  whitening  bones  thy  surface  strew  ! 

Soon  as  I  tread  thy  rush-clad  vale, 

Wild  fancy  feels  the  clasping  mail ; 
The  rancour  of  a  thousand  years 

Glows  in  my  breast ;  again  I  burn 

To  see  the  banner'd  pomp  of  war  return, 
And  mark,  beneath  the  moon,  the  silver  light  of  spears. 

Lo  !   bursting  from  their  common  tomb, 

The  spirits  of  the  ancient  dead 
Dimly  streak  the  parted  gloom 

With  awful  faces  ;  ghastly  red  ; 
As  once,  around  their  martial  king, 
They  closed  the  death-devoted  ring, 
With  dauntless  hearts,  unknown  to  yield  ; 
In  slow  procession  round  the  pile 
Of  heaving  corses,  moves  each  shadowy  file, 
And   chants,   in  solemn  strain,  the  dirge  of  Flodden 

Field. 

What  youth,  of  graceful  form  and  mien, 

Foremost  leads  the  spectred  brave, 
While  o'er  his  mantle's  folds  of  green 

His  amber  locks  redundant  wave  1 
When  slow  returns  the  fated  day, 
That  view'd  their  chieftain's  long  array. 


ODE    ON    VISITING    FLODDEN.  275 

While,  to  the  harp's  deep  plaintive  string, 

The  virgins  raise  the  funeral  strain, 

From  Ord's  black  mountain  to  the  northern  main, 
And  mourn  the  emerald  hue  which  paints  the  vest  of 
spring. 

Alas  !   that  Scottish  maid  should  sing 
The  combat  where  her  lover  fell ! 

That  Scottish  bard  should  wake  the  string, 
The  triumph  of  our  foes  to  tell ! 

Yet  Teviot's  sons,  with  high  disdain, 

Have  kindled  at  the  thrilling  strain, 
That  mourn'd  their  martial  fathers'  bier ; 

And  at  the  sacred  font,  the  priest 

Through  ages  left  the  master-hand  unblest, 
To  urge,  with  keener  aim,  the  blood-encrusted  spear. 

Red  Flodden !   when  thy  plaintive  strain, 

In  early  youth  rose  soft  and  sweet, 
My  life-blood,  through  each  throbbing  vein, 

With  wild  tumultuous  passion  beat ; 
And  oft,  in  fancied  might,  I  trode 
The  spear-strewn  path  to  Fame's  abode, 

Encircled  with  a  sanguine  flood; 

And  thought  I  heard  the  mingling  hum, 

When,  croaking  hoarse,  the  biids  of  carrion  come 

Afar,  on  rustling  wing,  to  feast  on  English  blood. 

Rude  Border  Chiefs,  of  mighty  name, 

And  iron  soul,  who  sternly  tore 
The  blossoms  from  the  tree  of  Fame, 

And  purpled  deep  their  tints  with  gore, 
Rush  from  brown  ruins,  scar'd  with  age, 
That  frown  o'er  haunted  Hermitage  ; 


276  ODE   ON   VISITING   FLODDEN. 

Where,  long  by  spells  mysterious  bound, 
They  pace  their  round,  with  lifeless  smile, 
And  shake,  with  restless  foot,  the  guilty  pile, 

Till  sink  the  mouldering  towers  beneath  the  burden'd 
ground. 

Shades  of  the  dead  !   on  Alfer's  plain 

Who  scorned  with  backward  step  to  move, 
But  struggling  'mid  the  hills  of  slain, 
Against  the  Sacred  Standard  strove  ; 
Amid  the  lanes  of  war  I  trace 
Each  broad  claymore  and  ponderous  mace : 

Where'er  the  surge  of  arms  is  tost, 
Your  glittering  spears,  in  close  array, 
Sweep,  like  the  spider's  filmy  web,  away 

The  flower  of  Norman  pride,  and  England's  victor  host. 

But  distant  fleets  each  warrior  ghost, 

With  surly  sounds  that  murmur  far ; 
Such  sounds  were  heard  when  Syria's  host 

Roll'd  from  the  walls  of  proud  Samar. 
Around  my  solitary  head, 
Gleam  the  blue  lightnings  of  the  dead, 
While  murmur  low  the  shadowy  band — 
"  Lament  no  more  the  warrior's  doom  ! 
Blood,  blood  alone,  should  dew  the  hero's  tomb, 
Who  falls,  'mid  circling  spears,  to  save  his  native  land." 

Levden. 


277 


A  LISBON  BULL-FIGHT. 


A  description  of  the  ordinary  butchery  of  horses  and 
bulls  in  a  common  Spanish  bull-ring  would  be  irksome 
and  inexcusable,  after  the  pictures  in  prose  and  verse 
which  every  one  has  read  and  remembered  :  but  I  do 
not  at  present  recollect  to  have  seen  any  minute  account 
of  a  Lisbon  bull-fight;  as  ludicrous  a  mixture  of  the 
comical  and  tragic  as  can  well  be  conceived. 

The  ring  where  the  sports  are  exhibited  is  in  a  hexa- 
gonal or  octagonal  building  of  wood,  open  to  the  sky. 
Rough  seats  on  every  side,  and  above  the  benches  on 
the  western  or  shady  side  are  boxes  for  the  queen  and 
her  attendants.  Soldiers  with  bayonets  kept  order  and 
put  down  disturbances,  of  which  there  were  several. 
The  seats  slowly  filled  to  the  number  of  two  thousand, 
and  when  all  were  overdone  with  impatience,  the  swish 
of  rockets,  and  the  crack  of  maroons,  announced  the 
bedizened  functionary  who  presided  over  the  revels  of 
the  day ;  his  cock-hatted  and  silk-stockinged  lacqueys 
ushered  him  into  his  box,  and,  after  a  short  delay,  one 
of  the  silken  horsemen  who  was  to  fight  the  bull  gal- 
loped in  from  the  opposite  side.  The  dusty  circus  in 
which  the  contest  took  place  had  been  sprinkled  with 
water  by  half  a  dozen  gaily  dressed  blackamoors.  In 
striking  contrast  to  these,  a  light  Spanish  stripling, 
active,  wary,  and  energetic,  stood  in  the  midst  of  the 
arena,  prepared  with  a  scarlet  scarf,  and  a  handful  of 
arrow-headed  darts,  to  receive  the  first  bull. 

The  Lisbon  bull-fight  differs  from  those  of  Spain  in 
almost  every  particular,  but  especially  in  the  weapons 
used  in  the  ring.  The  only  weapon  in  the  bull-fight 
which  I  am  describing  was  a  small  arrow  of  deal,  three 


278  A    LISBON    BULL-FIGHT. 

feet  in  length,  like  a  barbed  yard  measure.  This  the 
bull-fighter  holds  by  the  end,  and  as  the  bull  rushes  at 
him,  eyes  shut,  he  very  coolly  steps  a  few  inches  on 
one  side  of  the  direct  course  of  the  bull,  and  plunges 
one  (or,  when  dexterous,  two)  of  these  darts  into  the 
most  fleshy  part  of  the  animal's  neck.  The  horsemen 
make  use  of  a  similar  dart,  but  of  three  or  four  times 
the  length. 

The  young  Spaniard  held  several  of  these  darts  in  his 
hand,  when  the  side  door  was  opened,  and  out  there 
came,  slowly  and  circumspectly  at  first,  as  if  the  light 
might  have  dazzled  him,  such  a  noble,  high-bred  black 
bull,  with  short  horns,  curly  mane,  straight  back,  and 
soft  kind  eyes,  as  strongly  enlisted  one's  sympathies 
on  his  side,  and  made  me  secretly  wish  that  the  fine 
young  animal  might  overpower  his  nimble  tormentor, 
and  throw  him  in  the  dust.  The  bull  stood  three 
seconds  in  the  ring,  snorted,  gave  a  low  expressive 
moan,  bowed  down  his  head,  shut  his  eyes,  and  made 
one  rapid  bound  at  the  Spaniard,  who  nimbly  avoided 
him,  and  the  bull  glanced  by  with  a  gasp  and  a  groan, 
at  the  torture  of  the  two  barbed  arrows  which  the  youth 
had  plunged  in  his  neck  as  the  animal  flew  past  him. 
The  bull  turned  again  in  an  instant,  reared  on  his  hind 
legs  for  one  moment,  as  if  to  free  himself,  by  a  des- 
perate effort,  from  the  long  darts  that  rattled  in  his  neck, 
gave  a  passionate  whine,  and  once  more  dashed  at  his 
enemy  with  the  rapidity  of  light.  But  again  the  Span- 
iard turned  aside,  at  the  moment  when  it  seemed  that 
he  must  have  bitten  the  dust,  and  another  pair  of  the 
light  wooden  darts  were  streaming  with  blood  in  the 
grizzly  neck  of  the  tortured  animal. 

The  man  had  now  no  more  darts  left.  He  had 
dropped  his  scarf,  and  I  really  was  rejoiced  to  find  that 
there  was  now  to  be  a  fair  race  between  him  and  the 


A    LISBON    BULL-FIGHT.  279 

generous  looking  brute,  for  the  sheltered  alley  which 
encircled  the  ring.  The  Spaniard  run  as  if  (which  wras 
really  the  case)  his  life  depended  on  whether  he  should 
gain  the  shelter  or  not.  At  first,  it  seemed  as  if  he 
had  a  fair  chance  of  escape ;  but  the  bull  gained  upon 
him,  overtook  him,  and,  as  he  had  his  hand  upon  the 
circle  to  vault  into  the  alley,  pitched  the  rascal  into  the 
crowded  rows  of  the  opposite  benches,  amidst  the  clear 
vivas  of  hundreds  of  the  spectators.  This  is,  indeed,  an 
exciting  exhibition,  thought  I ;  and  I  gasped  for  breath 
wrhen  the  lucky  Spaniard  had  recovered  his  footing, 
amidst  jeers  and  jests  of  his  neighbours  in  the  gallery. 

Twisting  proudly  his  small  moustache,  though  some- 
what daunted  at  the  fierceness  of  the  animal,  he  strode 
round  the  alley  for  a  moment's  breathing.  The  bull 
(which  had  not  done  with  him  yet)  followed  him,  and 
made  several  attempts  to  get  out  of  the  ring,  so  enraged 
was  he  at  his  adversary's  escape  ;  but  the  youth  tapped 
him  familiarly  on  the  nose  ;  other  bull-fighters  attracted 
him  ;  the  shawTls  and  scarfs  which  they  left  on  his  horns 
as  they  bolted  into  the  alley,  and  at  length,  rattling  the 
wooden  darts,  which  clustered  in  his  thick  fleshy  neck 
to  the  number  of  fifteen  or  twenty,  he  roared  deep,  and 
galloped  round  the  circle  in  unequivocal  fury. 

More  contests  and  hairbreadth  escapes  succeeded, 
until  a  luckless  Portuguese,  as  heavy,  awkward,  and 
uncollected,  as  the  Spaniard  was  elastic,  graceful,  and 
cool,  standing  stupified  with  indecision,  was  borne  down 
with  a  dull  thump  (which  sounds  in  my  ears  at  this 
moment),  and  was  carried  out  for  dead. 

The  horses  and  riders  were  hooked  and  rolled  in  the 
dust,  tumbled,  tossed  over,  and  alarmed,  without  fatal 
effects.  Bull  after  bull,  with  greater  or  less  determi- 
nation and  courage,  came  in,  roared,  groaned,  and  went 
out  again,  after  a  sufficiency  of  barbed  arrows  had  been 


280  A    LISBON    BULL-FIGHT. 

lodged  in  their  necks.  One  furious  beast,  at  a  single 
bound,  sprung,  in  the  eagerness  of  pursuit,  over  the 
fighters'  alley  into  the  spectators'  seats,  and  produced  as 
much  discomposure  and  amusement  as  the  proverbial 
bull  in  a  china  shop. 

There  was  a  short  pause,  and  sundry  cries  of 
"  Sambo"  from  the  gallery,  when  the  riders'  door 
again  flew  open,  and  instead  of  the  silken  horseman 
and  his  prancing  grey,  six  glossy  negroes  rolled  in  an 
empty  barrel  to  the  centre  of  the  ring.  This  was  set 
on  end,  a  negro  was  tossed  inside,  armed  with  half  a 
dozen  darts  ;  another  negro,  with  a  pair  of  barbs,  was 
put  by  his  side,  the  doors  opened,  and  in  walked  another 
astonished  bull.^  At  first,  the  animal  merely  looked  at 
Sambo  with  what  seemed  an  expression  of  contempt, 
and  slowly  took  a  walk  round  the  ring  to  look  at  the 
spectators.  They  execrated  his  want  of  alacrity,  and 
violently  called  upon  Sambo  to  endanger  his  life  for 
their  amusement.  The  hootings  and  execrations  were 
not  lost  on  the  bewildered  animal,  who,  in  a  few 
seconds,  looked  gravely  at  the  tub  and  its  grotesque 
contents,  and  then  snorted  and  galloped  at  it.  The  out- 
side negro  was  soon  dislodged;  but  before  he  could  be 
tossed  and  gored,  he  threw  himself  on  the  ground, 
stretched  out  to  his  full  length,  with  his  broad  nose 
deep  in  the  dust,  his  hands  flat  beside  him,  his  limbs 
motionless  and  rigid  like  the  dead,  and  lay  there  appa- 
rently with  a  mind  as  careless  as  if  a  good-tempered 
Newfoundland  dog  had  been  caressing  him.  The  bull 
soon  moved  away,  and  the  negro  first  crept  on  his  legs, 
and  then  sneaked  rapidly  off  to  the  sheltered  alley, 
followed  in  a  sort  of  half-earnest  way  by  the  good- 
humoured  animal,  who  capered  after  him  like  a  goat. 

The  single-handed  contest  between  Sambo  in  the  tub 
and  his  horned  enemy  then  began.      The  black  grinned 


A    LISBON    BULL-FIGHT.  281 

over  the  edge  of  the  barrel,  shook  his  feathers,  and  the 
bull,  after  a  few  moments'  steady  perusal  of  the  negro's 
absurdities,  made  a  headlong  rush,  and  rolled  man  and 
barrel  down  the  ring.  A  scream  of  laughter  shook  the 
entire  building. 

The  bull,  not  knowing  what  to  make  of  the  tub  and 
the  African,  kept  trundling  them  about  the  ring  with 
the  greatest  humour.  Sambo,  every  now  and  then,  in 
the  intervals  of  rotation,  peeped  round  the  barrel's  edge, 
shook  his  feathers,  and  saluted  the  bull  on  the  nose, 
drawing  blood  at  each  push.  The  bull,  finding  his  mis- 
take, made  an  excited  gesture  with  his  head  and  tail, 
bounded  round  in  front  of  the  barrel  to  draw  the  fellow 
out,  or,  if  not  to  unkennel  him,  at  any  rate  to  prick  and 
goad  him  in  his  puncheon ;  and,  finally,  struck  the  tub 
a  violent  blow  with  his  horns.  But  as  the  mouth  nar- 
rowed (after  the  manner  of  barrels)  to  a  size  just  suffi- 
cient to  admit  the  body  of  the  negro,  all  that  the  bull 
could  do  was  to  get  in  one  horn  at  a  time ;  and  as  this 
was  quite  insufficient  to  put  poor  Sambo  in  a  complete 
dilemma,  he  managed  to  keep  such  a  succession  of  petty 
annoyances  as  ended  in  the  complete  overthrow  of  the 
animal's  equanimity.  The  bull,  foiled  in  all  his  efforts 
to  dislodge  the  negro,  looked  into  the  barrel's  mouth 
with  absolute  dismay, — stamped  and  whimpered  with 
vexed  bewilderment,  like  an  impetuous  spoiled  child, — 
snuffed  the  ground, — threw  up  a  bushel  of  dust, — and 
then  impatiently  smashed  the  tub  with  his  strong  fore 
head :  the  odds  were  heavily  against  Sambo.  But 
there  was  no  one  near  to  help  him  ;  his  five  companions 
sat  silently  on  the  wooden  ring,  grinning  and  showing 
then  teeth.  The  bull  made  another  rush  at  the  barrel, 
rolled  it  backwards  and  forwards  like  an  empty  pun- 
cheon on  a  brewer's  dray,  and  then  pursued  it,  with 
something  between  fear  and  rage,  in  a  tortuous  course 
19 


282  ROSABELLE. 

along  the  ring.  The  black  cried  for  help  ;  and  the 
five  gaudy  negroes  were  at  length  shamed  into  the  circus 
by  hoots  and  loud  jests.  The  moment  they  entered  it, 
the  bull,  attracted  by  their  gay  dresses,  fiercely  rushed 
at  the  whole  group,  and  instantly  dispersed  it.  Three 
fell  flat  on  their  faces,  with  outstretched  arms  and  legs  ; 
the  other  two  straddled  off  to  the  alley  in  awkward 
haste,  and,  in  place  of  the  light  vault  of  the  graceful 
Spaniard,  clambered  up  the  fence  like  bears  up  a  pole. 
None  were  hurt.  Those  who  hid  their  faces  in  the  dust 
were  merely  snuffed  at  and  smelled  by  the  bull  ;  and 
before  the  snuffing  and  smelling  were  over,  the  others 
had  retreated  in  safety.  At  length,  by  some  means  or 
other  (it  is  difficult  to  say  what),  they  all  six  had  hold 
of  his  horns  and  tail,  and  dragged  him  about  where- 
ever  they  pleased.  Having  removed  him,  preparations 
were  made  for  other  diversions. 

Buller's  Travels. 


ROSABELLE. 

u  Moor,  moor  the  barge,  ye  gallant  crew ! 

And,  gentle  ladye,  deign  to  stay  ! 
Rest  thee  in  Castle  Ravensheuch, 

Nor  tempt  the  stormy  firth  to-day. 

M  The  blackening  wave  is  edged  with  white ; 

To  inch  and  rock  the  sea-mews  fly; 
The  fishers  have  heard  the  water-sprite 

Whose  scream  forebodes  that  wreck  is  nigh. 


ROSABELLE.  283 

u  Last  night  the  gifted  seer  did  view 
A  wet  shroud  swathed  round  ladye  gay  ; 

Then  stay  thee,  Fair,  in  Ravensheuch ; 
Why  cross  the  gloomy  firth  to-day  V 

"  'Tis  not  because  Lord  Lindesay's  heir 

To-night  at  Roslin  leads  the  ball ; 
But  that  my  ladye-mother  there 

Sits  lonely  in  her  castle-hall. 

"  'Tis  not  because  the  ring  they  ride 
(And  Lindesay  at  the  ring  rides  well)  ; 

Bat  that  my  sire  the  wine  will  chide, 
If  'tis  not  filled  by  Rosabelle." 

O'er  Roslin,  all  that  dreary  night, 

A  wond'rous  blaze  was  seen  to  gleam  ; 

'Twas  broader  than  the  watch-fire's  light, 
And  redder  than  the  bright  moon-beam. 

It  glared  on  Roslin's  castled  rock, 
It  ruddied  all  the  copse-wood  glen ; 

'Twas  seen  from  Dryden's  groves  of  oak, 
And  seen  from  cavern'd  Hawthornden. 

Seem'd  all  on  fire  that  chapel  proud, 
Where  Roslin's  chiefs  uncoffin'd  lie ; 

Each  baron,  for  a  sable  shroud, 
Sheathed  in  his  iron  panoply. 

Seemed  all  on  fire,  within,  around, 

Deep  sacristy  and  altar's  pale  ; 
Shone  every  pillar  foliage  bound, 

And  glimmer'd  all  the  dead  men's  mail. 


284  LION    HUNTING    IN   INDIA. 

Blazed  battlement  and  pinnet  high, 

Blazed  every  rose-curved  buttress  fair, — 

So  still  they  blaze,  when  fate  is  nigh 
The  lordly  line  of  high  St.  Clair. 

There  are  twenty  of  Roslin's  barons  bold, 
Lie  buried  within  that  proud  chapelle ; 

Each  one  the  holy  vault  doth  hold — 
But  the  sea  holds  lovely  Rosabelle  ! 

And  each  St.  Clair  was  buried  there, 

With  candle,  with  book,  and  with  knell ; 

But  the  sea-waves  rung,  the  wild  winds  sung, 
The  dirge  of  lovely  Rosabelle. 

Scott. 


LION  HUNTING  IN  INDIA. 
(From  "  Essays  on  Natural  History,'5  by  Charles  Waterton.) 

In  the  month  of  July,  1831,  two  fine  lions  made  their 
appearance  in  a  jungle  some  twenty  miles  distant  from 
the  cantonment  of  Raj  cote,  in  the  East  Indies,  where 
Captain  Woodhouse,  and  his  two  friends,  Lieutenants 
Delamain  and  Lang,  were  stationed.  An  elephant  was 
dispatched  to  the  place  in  the  evening  on  which  the  in- 
formation arrived ;  and  on  the  morrow,  at  the  break  of 
day,  the  three  gentlemen  set  off  on  horseback,  full  of 
glee,  and  elated  with  the  hope  of  a  speedy  engage- 
ment. On  arriving  at  the  edge  of  the  jungle,  people 
were  ordered  to  ascend  the  neighbouring  trees,  that 
they  might  be  able  to  trace  the  route  of  the  lions,  in 


•  LION    HUNTING    IN    INDIA.  285 

case  they  left  the  cover.  After  beating  about  in  the 
jungle  for  some  time,  the  hunters  started  the  two  lordly 
strangers.  The  officers  fired  immediately,  and  one  of 
the  lions  fell  to  rise  no  more.  His  companion  broke 
cover,  and  made  off  across  the  country.  The  officers 
now  pursued  him  on  horseback  as  fast  as  the  nature  of 
the  ground  would  allow,  until  they  learned  from  the 
men  who  were  stationed  in  the  trees,  and  who  held  up 
flags  by  way  of  signal,  that  the  lion  had  gone  back 
into  the  thicket.  Upon  this  the  three  officers  returned 
to  the  edge  of  the  jungle,  and  having  dismounted  from 
their  horses,  they  got  upon  the  elephant,  Captain 
Woodhouse  placing  himself  in  the  hindermost  seat. 
They  now  proceeded  towards  the  heart  of  the  jungle, 
in  the  expectation  of  rousing  the  royal  fugitive  a 
second  time.  They  found  him  standing  under  a  high 
bush,  with  his  face  directly  towards  them.  The  lion 
allowed  them  to  approach  within  range  of  his  spring, 
and  then  he  made  a  sudden  dart  at  the  elephant,  clung 
on  his  trunk  with  a  tremendous  roar,  and  wounded  him 
just  above  the  eye.  While  be  was  in  the  act  of  doing 
this,  the  two  lieutenants  fired  at  him,  but  without  suc- 
cess. The  elephant  now  shook  him  off;  but  the  fierce 
and  sudden  attack  on  the  part  of  the  lion  seemed  to 
have  thrown  him  into  the  greatest  consternation.  This 
was  the  first  time  he  had  ever  come  in  contact  with  so 
formidable  an  animal :  and  much  exertion  was  used 
before  his  riders  succeeded  in  urging  him  on  again  in 
quest  of  the  lion.  At  last  he  became  somewhat  more 
tractable;  but  as  he  was  advancing  through  the  jungle, 
all  of  a  sudden  the  lion,  which  had  lain  concealed  in 
the  high  grass,  made  at  him  with  redoubled  fury.  The 
officers  now  lost  all  hopes  of  keeping  their  elephant  in 
order.  He  turned  round  abruptly,  and  was  going  away 
quite  ungovernable,  when  the  lion  again  sprang  at  him, 


286  LION    HUNTING    IN   INDIA. 

seized  his  hinder  parts  with  his  teeth,  and  hung  on 
him  till  the  affrighted  animal  managed  to  shake  him  off 
by  incessant  kicking. 

The  lion  retreated  farther  into  the  thicket,  Captain 
Woodhouse  in  the  mean  time  firing  a  random  shot  at 
him,  which  proved  of  no  avail,  as  the  jolting  of  the  ele- 
phant and  the  uproar  of  the  moment  prevented  him  from 
taking  a  steady  aim.  No  exertions  on  the  part  of  the 
officers  could  now  force  the  terrified  elephant  to  face 
his  fierce  foe,  and  they  found  themselves  reduced  to  the 
necessity  of  dismounting.  Determined,  however,  to 
come  to  still  closer  quarters  with  the  formidable  king 
of  quadrupeds,  Captain  Woodhouse  took  the  desperate 
resolution  to  proceed  on  foot  in  quest  of  him,  and,  after 
searching  about  for  some  time,  he  observed  the  lion  in- 
distinctly through  the  bushes,  and  discharged  his  rifle 
at  him,  but  he  was  pretty  well  convinced  that  he  had 
not  hit  him,  for  he  saw  the  lion  retire  with  the  utmost 
composure  into  the  thicker  parts  of  the  brake.  The  two 
lieutenants,  who  had  remained  at  the  outside  of  the 
jungle,  joined  their  companion  on  hearing  the  report  of 
his  gun. 

The  weather  was  intolerably  sultry.  After  vainly 
spending  a  considerable  time  in  creeping  through  the 
grass  and  bushes,  with  the  hope  of  discovering  the  place 
of  the  lion's  retreat,  they  concluded  that  he  had  passed 
through  the  jungle,  and  gone  off  in  an  opposite  direction. 
Resolving  not  to  let  their  game  escape,  the  lieutenants 
returned  to  the  elephant,  and  immediately  proceeded 
round  the  jungle,  expecting  to  discover  the  route  which 
they  conjectured  the  lion  had  taken.  Captain  Wood- 
house,  however,  remained  in  the  thicket;  and  as  he  could 
discern  the  print  of  the  animal's  foot  on  the  ground,  he 
boldly  resolved  to  follow  up  the  track  at  all  hazards. 
The  Indian  game-finder,  who  continued  with  his  com- 


LION    HUNTING    IN    INDIA.  287 

mander,  at  last  espied  the  lion  in  the  cover,  and  pointed 
him  out  to  the  captain,  who  fired,  but,  unfortunately, 
missed  his  mark.  There  was  now  no  alternative  left 
but  to  retreat  and  load  his  rifle.  Having  retired  to  a 
distance,  he  was  joined  by  Lieutenant  Delamain,  who 
had  dismounted  from  his  elephant  on  hearing  the  report 
of  the  gun.  This  unexpected  meeting  increased  the  cap- 
tain's hopes  of  ultimate  success.  He  lost  no  time  in 
pointing  out  to  the  lieutenant  the  place  where  he  would 
probably  find  the  lion,  and  said  he  would  be  up  with 
him  in  a  moment  or  two. 

Lieutenant  Delamain,  on  going  eight  or  ten  paces 
down  a  sheep-track,  got  a  sight  of  the  lion,  and  instantly 
discharged  his  rifle  at  him.  This  irritated  the  mighty 
lord  of  the  woods,  and  he  rushed  towards  him,  breaking 
through  the  bushes  (to  use  the  captain's  own  words) 
"  in  most  magnificent  style."  Captain  Woodhouse  now 
found  himself  placed  in  an  awkward  situation.  He 
was  aware  that  if  he  retraced  his  steps,  in  order  to  put 
himself  in  a  better  position  for  attack,  he  would  just  get 
to  the  point  from  which  the  lieutenant  fired,  and  to 
which  the  lion  was  making;  wherefore  he  instantly  re- 
solved to  stand  still  in  the  hope  that  the  lion  would  pass 
by,  at  a  distance  of  four  yards  or  so,  without  perceiving 
him,  as  the  intervening  cover  was  thick  and  strong.  In 
this,  however,  he  was  most  unfortunately  deceived  ;  for 
the  enraged  lion  saw  him  in  passing,  and  flew  at  him 
with  a  dreadful  roar.  In  an  instant,  as  if  it  had  been 
done  by  a  stroke  of  lightning,  the  rifle  was  broken  and 
thrown  out  of  the  captain's  hand,  his  left  arm  at  the  same 
moment  torn  by  the  claws,  and  his  right  by  the  teeth,  of 
his  desperate  antagonist.  While  those  two  brave  and 
sturdy  combatants,  "  whose  courage  none  could  stain," 
were  yet  standing  in  mortal  conflict,  Lieutenant  Dela- 
main ran  up  and  discharged  his  piece  full  at  the  lion. 


233  LION   HUNTING    IN   INDIA. 

This  caused  the  lion  and  the  captain  to  come  to  the 
ground  together,  while  Lieutenant  Delarnain  hastened 
out  of  the  jungle  to  reload  his  gun.  The  lion  now  began 
to  crunch  the  captain's  arm ;  but  as  the  brave  fellow, 
notwithstanding  the  pain  which  this  horrid  process 
caused,  had  the  cool  determined  resolution  to  lie  still, 
the  lordly  savage  let  the  arm  drop  out  of  his  mouth,  and 
quietly  placed  himself  in  a  couching  position,  with  both 
his  paws  upon  the  thigh  of  his  fallen  foe.  While  things 
were  in  this  untoward  situation,  the  captain  unthink- 
ingly raised  his  hand  to  support  his  head,  which  had 
got  placed  ill  at  ease  in  the  fall.  No  sooner,  however, 
had  he  moved  it,  than  the  lion  seized  the  lacerated  arm 
a  second  time,  crunched  it  as  before,  and  fractured  the 
bone  still  higher  up.  This  additional  memento  mori  from 
the  lion  was  not  lost  upon  Captain  Woodhouse;  it  im- 
mediately put  him  in  mind  that  he  had  committed  an  act 
of  imprudence  in  stirring.  The  motionless  state  in 
which  he  persevered  after  this  broad  hint,  showed  that 
he  learned  to  profit  by  the  painful  lesson. 

He  now  lay  bleeding  and  disabled  under  the  foot  of  a 
mighty  and  irritated  enemy.  Death  was  close  upon 
him,  armed  with  every  terror  calculated  to  appal  the 
heart  of  a  prostrate  and  defenceless  man.  Just  as  this 
world,  with  all  its  flitting  honours,  was  on  the  point  of 
vanishing  for  ever,  he  heard  two  faint  reports  of  a  gun, 
which  he  thought  sounded  from  a  distance;  but  he  was 
totally  at  a  loss  to  account  for  them.  He  learned,  after 
the  affair  was  over,  that  the  reports  were  caused  by  his 
friend  at  the  outside  of  the  jungle,  who  had  flashed  off 
some  powder  in  order  to  be  quite  sure  that  the  nipples 
of  his  rifle  were  clean. 

The  two  lieutenants  were  now  hastening  to  his  assist- 
ance, and  he  heard  the  welcome  sound  of  feet  approach- 
ing ;  but,  unfortunately,  they  were  in  a  wrong  direction, 


ADVENTURE    OF    LEWIS    WETZEL.  289 

as  the  lion  was  betwixt  them  and  him.  Aware  that  if 
his  friends  fired,  the  balls  would  hit  him  after  they  had 
passed  through  the  body  of  the  lion,  Captain  Wood- 
house  quietly  pronounced,  in  a  low  and  subdued  tone, 
"  To  the  other  side  !  to  the  other  side  !"  Hearing  the 
voice,  they  looked  in  the  direction  from  whence  it  pro- 
ceeded, and  to  their  horror  saw  their  brave  comrade  in 
his  utmost  need.  Having  made  a  circuit,  they  cautiously 
came  up  on  the  other  side,  and  Lieutenant  Delamain, 
whose  coolness  in  encounters  with  wild  beasts  had 
always  been  conspicuous,  from  a  distance  of  about  a 
dozen  yards,  fired  at  the  lion  over  the  person  of  a  pros- 
trate warrior. 

The  lion  merely  quivered  ;  his  head  dropped  upon  the 
ground,  and  in  an  instant  he  lay  dead  on  his  side,  close 
to  his  intended  victim. 


ADVENTURE  OF  LEWIS  WETZEL. 

Amongst  the  heroes  of  American  border  warfare, 
Lewis  Wetzel  held  no  inferior  station.  Inured  to 
hardships  while  yet  in  boyhood,  and  familiar  with  all 
the  varieties  of  forest  adventure,  from  that  of  hunting 
the  beaver  and  the  bear  to  that  of  the  wily  Indian,  he 
became  one  of  the  most  celebrated  marksmen  of  the 
day.  His  form  was  erect,  and  of  that  height  best 
adapted  to  activity,  being  very  muscular,  and  possessed 
of  great  bodily  strength.  From  constant  exercise,  he 
could,  without  fatigue,  bear  prolonged  and  violent  ex- 
ertion, especially  that  of  running  and  walking;  and  he 


290  ADVENTURE    OF    LEWIS    WETZEL. 

had,  by  practice,  acquired  the  art  of  loading  his  rifle, 
when  running  at  full  speed  through  the  forest;  and 
wheeling  on  ihe  instant,  he  could  discharge  it  with 
unerring  aim,  at  the  distance  of  eighty  or  one  hundred 
yards,  into  a  mark  not  larger  than  a  dollar.  This  art 
he  has  been  known  more  than  once  to  practise  with 
fatal  success  on  his  savage  foes.— 

A  marksman  of  superior  skill  was,  in  those  days,  es- 
timated by  the  other  borderers,  much  in  the  same  way 
that  a  knight  templar,  or  a  knight  of  the  cross,  who 
excelled  in  the  tournament  or  the  charge,  was  valued 
by  his  contemporaries  in  the  days  of  chivalry.  Chal- 
lenges of  skill  often  took  place ;  and  marksmen,  who 
lived  at  the  distance  of  fifty  miles  or  more  from  each 
other,  frequently  met  by  appointment,  to  try  the  accu- 
racy of  their  aim,  on  bets  of  considerable  amount. 
Wetzel's  fame  had  spread  far  and  wide,  as  the  most 
expert  and  unerring  shot  of  the  day.  It  chanced  that 
a  young  man,  a  few  years  younger  than  Wetzel,  who 
lived  on  Dankard's  Creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Mononga- 
hela  river,  which  waters  one  of  the  earliest  settlements 
in  that  region,  heard  of  his  fame ;  and  as  he  also  was 
an  expert  woodsman  and  a  first-rate  shot — the  best  in 
his  settlement — he  became  very  desirous  of  an  oppor- 
tunity for  a  trial  of  skill.  So  great  was  his  desire,  that 
he  one  day  shouldered  his  rifle,  and  whistling  his  faith- 
ful dog  to  his  side,  started  for  the  neighbourhood  of 
Wetzel,  who  at  that  time  lived  on  Wheeling  Creek, 
distant  about  twenty  miles  from  the  settlement  of 
Dankard's  Creek.  When  about  half-way  on  his  jour- 
ney, a  fine  buck  sprang  up  just  before  him.  He  levelled 
his  gun  with  his  usual  precision,  but  the  deer,  though 
badly  wounded,  did  not  fall  dead  on  his  tracks.  His 
faithful  dog  soon  seized  him  and  brought  him  to  the 
ground ;  but  while  in  the  act  of  doing  this,  another 


ADVENTURE   OF   LEWIS  WETZEL.  291 

dog"  sprang  from  the  forest  upon  the  same  deer,  and  his 
master  making  his  appearance  at  the  same  time  from 
behind  a  tree,  with  a  loud  voice  claimed  the  buck  as 
his  property,  because  he  had  been  wounded  by  his  shot 
and  seized  by  his  dog.  It  so  happened  that  they  had 
both  fired  at  once  at  this  deer,  a  fact  which  may  very 
well  happen  where  two  active  men  are  hunting  on  the 
same  ground,  although  one  may  fire  at  the  distance  of 
fifty  yards,  and  the  other  at  one  hundred.  The  dogs 
felt  the  same  spirit  of  rivalry  with  their  masters,  and 
quitting  the  deer,  which  was  already  dead,  fell  to  wor- 
rying and  tearing  each  other.  In  separating  the  dogs, 
the  stranger  hunter  happened  to  strike  that  of  the 
young  man.  The  old  adage,  "  strike  my  dog,  strike 
myself,"  arose  in  full  force,  and  without  further  cere- 
mony, except  a  few  angry  words,  he  fell  upon  the  hunter 
and  hurled  him  to  the  ground.  This  was  no  sooner  done 
than  he  found  himself  turned,  and  under  his  stronger 
and  more  powerful  antagonist.  Discovering  that  he 
was  no  match  at  this  play,  the  young  man  appealed  to 
the  trial  by  rifles,  saying  it  was  too  much  like  dogs  for 
men,  and  hunters,  to  fight  in  this  way.  .The  stranger 
assented  to  the  trial ;  but  told  his  antagonist,  that  be- 
fore he  put  it  fairly  to  the  test,  he  had  better  witness 
what  he  was  able  to  do  with  the  rifle,  saying  that  he 
was  as  much  superior,  he  thought,  with  that  weapon, 
as  he  was  in  bodily  strength.  He  bade  him  place  a 
mark  the  size  or  a  shilling  on  the  side  of  a  huge  pop- 
lar that  stood  beside  them,  from  which  he  would  start 
with  his  rifle  unloaded,  and  running  a  hundred  yards  at 
full  speed,  he  would  load  it  as  he  ran,  and,  wheeling, 
would  discharge  it  instantly  to  the  centre  of  the  mark. 
The  feat  was  no  sooner  proposed  than  performed  ;  the 
ball  entered  the  centre  of  the  diminutive  target;  as- 
tonished at  his  activity  and  skill,  his  antagonist  in- 


292  ADVENTURE    OF    LEWIS    WETZEL. 

stantly  inquired  his  name.  Lewis  Wetzel,  at  your 
service,  answered  the  stranger.  The  young  hunter 
seized  him  by  the  hand  with  all  the  ardour  of  youthful 
admiration,  and  at  once  acknowledged  his  own  inferi- 
ority. So  charmed  was  he  with  Wetzel's  frankness, 
skill,  and  fine  personal  appearance,  that  he  insisted 
upon  his  returning  with  him  to  the  settlement  on  Dank- 
ard's  Creek,  that  he  might  exhibit  his  talents  to  his 
own  family,  and  to  the  hardy  backwoodsmen  his  neigh- 
bours. Nothing  loath  to  such  an  exhibition,  and 
pleased  wTith  the  energy  of  his  new  acquaintance,  Wet- 
zel consented  to  accompany  him ;  shortening  the  way 
with  their  mutual  tales  of  hunting  excursions  and  ha- 
zardous contests  with  the  common  enemies  of  the 
country.  Amongst  other  things,  Wetzel  stated  his 
manner  of  distinguishing  the  footsteps  of  a  white  man 
from  those  of  an  Indian,  although  covered  with  moc- 
assins, and  intermixed  with  the  tracks  of  savages.  He 
had  acquired  this  tact  from  closely  examining  the  man- 
ner of  placing  the  feet,  the  Indian  stepping  with  his 
feet  in  parallel  lines,  and  first  bringing  the  toe  to  the 
ground  ;  while  the  white  man  almost  invariably  places 
his  feet  at  an  angle  with  the  line  of  march.  An  op- 
portunity they  little  expected  soon  gave  room  to  put 
his  skill  to  the  trial.  On  reaching  the  young  man's 
home,  wmich  they  did  that  day,  they  found  the  dwelling 
a  smoking  ruin,  and  all  the  family  lying  murdered  and 
scalped,  except  a  young  woman  who  had  been  brought 
up  in  the  family,  and  to  whom  the  young  man  was  ar- 
dently attached.  She  had  been  taken  away  alive,  as 
was  ascertained  by  examining  the  trail  of  the  savages. 
Wetzel  soon  discovered  that  the  party  consisted  of  three 
Indians  and  a  renegado  white  man, — a  fact  not  uncom- 
mon in  those  early  days,  when,  for  crime  or  the  love  of 


ADVENTURE    OF   LEWIS    WETZEL.  293 

revenge,  the  white  outlaw  fled  to  the  savages,  and  was 
adopted,  on  trial,  into  their  tribe. 

As  it  was  past  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  the  nearest 
assistance  still  at  some  considerable  distance,  and  there 
were  only  four  to  contend  with,  they  decided  on  instant 
pursuit.  As  the  deed  had  very  recently  been  done,  they 
hoped  to  overtake  them  in  their  camp  that  night,  and 
perhaps  before  they  could  cross  the  Ohio  river,  to  which 
the  Indians  always  retreated  after  a  successful  incur- 
sion, considering  themselves  in  a  manner  safe  when  they 
had  crossed  to  its  right  bank,  at  that  time  occupied 
wholly  by  the  Indian  tribes. 

Ardent  and  unwearied  was  the  pursuit  by  the  youth- 
ful huntsmen :  the  one,  excited  to  recover  his  lost  mis- 
tress, the  other  to  assist  his  new  friend  and  to  take  re- 
venge for  the  slaughter  of  his  countrymen — slaughter 
and  revenge  being  the  daily  business  of  the  borderers 
at  this  period  (1782-84).  Wetzel  followed  the  trail 
with  the  unerring  sagacity  of  a  bloodhound ;  and  just 
at  dusk,  traced  the  fugitives  to  a  noted  war-path,  nearly 
opposite  to  the  mouth  of  Captina  Creek,  emptying  into 
the  Ohio,  which,  much  to  their  disappointment,  they 
found  the  Indians  had  crossed  by  forming  a  raft  of  logs 
and  brush,  their  usual  manner  when  at  a  distance  from 
their  villages.  By  examining  carefully  the  appearances 
on  the  opposite  shore,  they  soon  discovered  the  fire  of 
the  Indian  camp  in  a  hollow  way,  a  few  rods  from  the 
river.  Lest  the  noise  of  constructing  a  raft  should  alarm 
the  Indians  and  give  notice  of  the  pursuit,  the  two  hardy 
adventurers  determined  to  swim  the  stream  a  few  rods 
below.  This  they  easily  accomplished,  being  both  of 
them  excellent  swimmers  •;  fastening  their  clothes  and 
ammunition  in  a  bundle  on  the  tops  of  their  heads,  with 
their  rifles  resting  on  their  left  hip,  they  reached  the  op- 
posite shore  in  safety.     After  carefully  examining  their 


294  ADVENTURE    OF    LEWIS    WETZEL. 

arms,  and  putting  every  article  of  attack  and  defence  in 
its  proper  place,  they  crawled  very  cautiously  to  a  posi- 
tion which  gave  them  a  fair  view  of  their  enemies,  who, 
thinking  themselves  safe  from  pursuit,  were  carelessly 
reposing  around  their  fire,  thoughtless  of  the  fate  that 
awaited  them.  They  instantly  discovered  the  young 
woman,  apparently  unhurt,  but  making  much  moaning 
and  lamentation,  while  the  white  man  was  trying  to 
pacify  and  console  her  with  the  promise  of  kind  usage 
and  an  adoption  into  the  tribe.  The  young  man,  hardly 
able  to  restrain  his  rage,  was  for  firing  and  rushing  in- 
stantly upon  them.  Wetzel,  more  cautious,  told  him  to 
wait  until  daylight  appeared,  when  they  could  make  the 
attack  with  a  better  chance  of  success,  and  of  also  kill- 
ing the  whole  party ;  but  if  they  attacked  in  the  dark, 
a  part  of  them  would  certainly  escape. 

As  soon  as  daylight  dawned,  the  Indians  arose  and 
prepared  to  depart.  The  young  man  selecting  the  white 
renegado,  and  Wetzel  an  Indian,  they  both  fired  at  the 
same  time,  each  killing  his  man.  The  young  man  rushed 
forward,  knife  in  hand,  to  relieve  the  young  woman ; 
while  W^etzel  reloaded  his  gun,  and  pushed  in  pursuit 
of  the  two  surviving  Indians,  who  had  taken  to  the 
woods  until  they  could  ascertain  the  number  of  their 
enemies.  Wetzel,  as  soon  as  he  saw  that  he  was  dis- 
covered, discharged  his  rifle  at  random,  in  order  to  draw 
them  from  their  covert.  Hearing  the  report,  and  find- 
ing themselves  unhurt,  the  Indians  rushed  upon  him 
before  he  could  again  reload.  This  was  as  he  wished ; 
taking  to  his  heels,  Wetzel  loaded  as  he  ran,  and,  sud- 
denly wheeling  about,  discharged  his  rifle  through  the 
body  of  his  nearest  but  unsuspecting  enemy.  The  re- 
maining Indian,  seeing  the  fate  of  his  companion,  and 
that  his  enemy's  rifle  was  unloaded,  rushed  forward 
with  all  energy,  the  prospect  of  prompt  revenge  being 


EAGLES    IN    THE    HEBRIDES.  295 

fairly  before  him.  Wetzel  led  him  on,  dodging  from 
tree  to  tree,  until  his  rifle  was  again  ready,  when,  sud- 
denly turning,  he  shot  his  remaining  enemy,  who  fell 
dead  at  his  feet.  Wetzel  and  his  friend,  with  their 
rescued  captive,  returned  in  safety  to  the  settlement. 
Like  honest  Joshua  Fleeheart,  after  the  peace  of  1795, 
Wetzel  pushed  for  the  frontiers  on  the  Mississippi, 
where  he  could  trap  the  beaver,  hunt  the  buffalo  and 
the  deer,  and  occasionally  shoot  an  Indian,  the  object 
of  his  mortal  hatred.  He  finally  died,  as  he  had  always 
lived,  a  free  man  of  the  forest, — Silliman's  American 
Journal. 


EAGLES  IN  THE  HEBRIDES. 

When  it  has  young,  the  eagle  provides  abundantly 
for  them ;  and  instances  have  been  known  in  the  He- 
brides of  people  obtaining  an  additional  supply  in  times 
of  scarcity,  by  climbing,  or  rather  descending  to  its  nest, 
which  is  generally  nearer  the  summit  than  the  base  of 
the  cliff.  I  have  never  heard  an  instance  of  its  attacking 
a  person  when  robbing  its  nest,  and  only  two  of  its  hav- 
ing made  any  attempt  upon  a  human  being. 

A  man,  in  the  island  of  Lewis,  having  crept  to  the 
edge  of  a  shelf  overhanging  the  nest  of  an  eagle,  was 
waiting  the  arrival  of  the  birds,  for  the  purpose  of  shoot- 
ing them,  when  one  of  them,  sweeping  silently  along  the 
top  of  the  cliff,  struck  him  unawares  with  its  wing.  The 
man,  however,  kept  his  hold. 

Among  some  rugged  crags  at  the  lower  end  of  Loch 
Suainebhad,  in  the  island,  a  pair  of  these  annually  rear 
their  young.  A  woman,  who  had  been  on  the  moors 
looking  after  cattle,  was  descending  a  rude  path  near  the 


296  EAGLES    IX   THE    HEBRIDES. 

crags,  when  two  eagles  attacked  her  with  great  fury. 
She  defended  herself,  however,  and  escaped  without 
material  injury. 

When  in  sight  of  a  person  watching  near  the  nest, 
they  fly  around  him  at  a  respectful  distance,  sailing  with 
outstretched  wings,  occasionally  uttering  a  savage  scream 
of  anger,  and  allowing  their  legs  to  dangle,  with  out- 
spread talons,  as  if  to  intimidate  him.  I  have  observed 
them  thus  occupied,  when  on  the  edge  of  a  precipice  five 
hundred  feet  high,  with  a  very  steep  slope  above  me, 
bounded  by  rocks,  and  from  which  I  could  not  have  made 
my  escape,  had  the  birds  been  resolute. 

In  the  Hebrides,  the  raven  is  perpetually  harassing 
the  eagle,  which,  from  its  superior  agility,  it  can  safely 
do ;  although  I  have  never  seen  it  venture  to  come  into 
actual  contact  with  its  powerful  adversary.  I  have  seen 
eagles  fighting  in  the  air ;  their  motions  were  then  beau- 
tiful, and  displayed  considerable  agility.  When  the 
higher  one  approached  the  other,  the  latter  threw  itself 
on  its  back,  and  received  the  foe  with  outstretched  talons. 
Their  shrill  screams  resounded  to  a  great  distance. 

The  usual  mode  of  destroying  eagles  in  the  Hebrides 
is  the  following  : — In  a  remote  part,  usually  on  an  emi- 
nence, the  declivity  of  a  mountain,  or  the  margin  of  a 
precipice  in  which  eagles  breed,  a  pit,  about  six  feet 
in  length  and  three  in  breadth,  is  dug  to  the  depth  of 
two  or  three  feet.  The  turf  removed  from  it  is  arranged 
as  a  wall,  so  as  to  deepen  the  pit  a  foot  or  two  more. 
Some  sticks  are  then  laid  across  it,  together  with  heath, 
and  the  whole  is  covered  over  with  fresh  turf  taken  from 
some  distance.  An  opening  is  left  at  one  end,  large 
enough  to  admit  a  person,  and  at  the  other  is  formed 
an  aperture  six  inches  in  diameter.  The  door  is  closed 
by  a  bundle  of  heath  ;  and  in  this  state  the  pit,  or  hut, 
is  left  until  all  traces  of  labour  are  effaced  from  it  by 


EAGLES    IN   THE    HEBRIDES.  297 

the  weather,  and  the  keen  eye  of  the  eagle,  as  he  sails 
over  it,  can  distinguish  nothing  but  a  tuft  of  heath,  simi- 
lar to  those  around.  A  carcass  is  then  procured ;  a 
sheep  that  has  been  found  dead  on  the  hills,  or  an  old 
and  useless  horse,  that  has  been  taken  out  and  killed 
for  the  purpose.  It  is  placed  at  the  distance  of  fif- 
teen or  twenty  yards  from  the  hut,  so  as  to  be  visible 
from  within  through  the  small  aperture.  The  hunter 
enters,  spreads  a  layer  of  heath  on  the  floor,  closes  the 
door  behind  by  pulling  into  it  a  bundle  of  heath,  lays 
him  down  on  his  side,  places  the  muzzle  of  his  gun  in 
the  aperture,  and  prepares  for  a  tedious  watch.  Hours 
often  pass,  and  yet  nothing  makes  its  appearance.  A 
raven  appears,  and  frequently  many  in  succession;  but 
as  the  hunter  knows  not  how  near  the  eagle  may  be,  he 
refrains  from  shooting,  or  even  disturbing  them.  Some- 
times a  gull,  of  the  large  black-backed  species,  or  a  bur- 
gomaster, or  even  a  herring-gull,  appears  wTith  its  un- 
sullied plumage,  walking  anxiously  about,  but  not  daring 
to  attempt  a  participation  of  the  feast  so  long  as  the 
ravens  remain  unsatisfied.  At  length  hurried  noises  are 
heard  from  the  carrion  birds,  which  look  around  in  an 
anxious  manner;  the  rushing,  as  of  a  current  of  air, 
comes  on  the  ear  of  the  lier-in-wait,  who  brings  his  gun 
to  his  shoulder ;  and  as  the  birds  disperse,  he  sees  the 
eagle  quietly  seating  itself  on  the  carcass,  gathering  up 
his  large  wings,  and  preparing  to  commence  the  ban- 
quet. Now  is  the  time — now  or  never.  Forth  rushes 
the  little  shower  of  buck-shot,  the  terrified  gulls  and 
ravens  fly  off  screaming  and  croaking,  and  the  author 
of  their  panic,  kicking  out  the  bundle  of  heath  from  the 
door  of  the  hut,  drags  himself  into  open  day,  and  runs 
up  to  the  carcass,  on  which  is  stretched  the  once  formi- 
dable skimmer  of  the  clouds,  now  vainly  struggling  in 
the  agonies  of  death. 

20 


298  EAGLES    IN    THE    HEBRIDES. 

But  a  more  animating  scene  presents  itself: — 

"  Why  flames  the  far  summit  ?     Why  shoot  to  the  blast 
Yon  embers  like  stars  from  the  firmament  cast  ? 
'Tis  the  fire-shower  of  ruin  all  dreadfully  driven 
From  his  eyrie—" 

The  farmer,  breathing  vengeance  for  the  massacre  per- 
petrated upon  the  young  lambs  in  spring,  has  assembled 
his  shepherds  and  cotters.  They  proceed — one  carry- 
ing a  coil  of  rope,  another  a  bundle  of  dry  heath,  and  a 
third  a  burning  peat — toward  the  farther  brow  of  the 
mountain,  where  the  fissured  and  shelved  precipice 
hangs  over  the  foaming  margin  of  the  Atlantic.  Far  in 
the  west,  in  mist  and  melancholy  grandeur,  rises  the 
lone  isle  of  St.  Kilda.  The  great  ocean  is  spread 
around,  its  impetuous  currents  sweeping  along  the 
rugged  shores.  Strings  of  gannets,  cormorants,  and 
guillemots  are  seen  winding  around  the  promontories  ; 
while  here  and  there,  over  the  curling  waves,  is  seen 
hovering  a  solitary  gull.  They  have  reached  the  brink 
of  the  cliffs,  over  which  the  more  timid  scarce  dare  ven- 
ture to  cast  a  glance ;  for  almost  directly  under  their 
feet  is  the  unfathomable  sea,  heaving  its  heavy  billows 
some  hundred  feet  from  the  place  to  which  they  cling. 
The  eagles  are  abroad,  soaring  at  a  cautious  distance  in 
circles,  uttering  wild  and  harsh  screams,  and  as  they 
sweep  past  displaying  their  powerful  talons.  One  of 
the  men  fastens  the  rope  to  his  body,  passing  it  under 
his  arm,  and  securing  it  to  his  breast  by  a  firm  knot. 
The  rest  dig  holes  with  their  heels  in  the  turf,  and  sit- 
ting down  in  a  row  take  firm  hold  of  the  cord.  The 
adventurer  looks  over  the  brink  of  the  cliff,  marks  the 
projecting  shelf  which  overhangs  the  eagle's  nest,  and 
is  gradually  lowered  towards  it,  bearing  in  one  hand  the 
bundle  of  heath,  with  a  cord  attached  to  it,  and  the  peat 


EAGLES  IN  THE  HEBRIDES.  299 

burning  in  the  middle,  and  with  the  other  pushing  him- 
self from  the  angular  projections  of  the  rock.  At 
length  he  arrives  on  the  shelf,  and  calls  to  those  above 
to  slacken  the  rope,  but  keep  a  firm  hold  of  it.  Then 
creeping  forwards,  and  clinging  to  the  unstable  tufts  of 
indigenous  grasses,  he  looks  downwards,  and  ascertains 
the  precise  position  of  the  nest,  in  which  are  two  eaglets 
covered  with  white  down,  skeletons  of  fishes,  birds,  and 
lambs  lying  heaped  around  them.  Blowing  the  flame, 
he  kindles  the  bundle  of  combustibles,  and  rapidly 
lowers  it  rightly  into  the  nest.  The  young  birds  scream 
and  hiss,  and  throw  themselves  into  strange  attitudes 
of  defence.  The  heath  smokes  and  crackles,  and  at 
length  blazes  into  full  flame.  Then  the  sticks,  sea- 
weeds, wool,  and  feathers  of  the  nest  catch  fire ;  and 
the  ascending  column  of  smoke  indicates  to  the  rope- 
men  above  that  the  deed  is  doing.  Flames  and  fumes 
conceal  the  young  birds  from  the  avenger's  gaze,  but  he 
stirs  not  until  they  have  abated,  and  he  sees  the  huge 
eyrie  with  its  contents  reduced  to  ashes. 

Birds  have  feelings  as  well  as  men,  and  those  of  the 
eagle  are  doubtless  acute  ;  for  the  old  birds  wheel  and 
scream  along  the  face  of  the  rock  for  many  days  in  suc- 
cession, and  as  by  this  time  the  summer  is  far  advanced, 
they  form  no  new  nest. — Quarterly  Journal  of  Agri- 
culture. 


300 


SCENES    IN  THE   PRAIRIE. 

The  following  lively  details  are  taken  from  Washington  Irving's 
"Tour  in  the  Prairies." 

A    BUFFALO   HUNT. 

After  proceeding  for  about  two  hours  in  a  southerly- 
direction,  we  emerged,  towards  mid-day,  from  the  dreary 
belt  of  the  Cross  Timber,  and,  to  our  infinite  delight, 
beheld  the  "  Great  Prairie"  stretching  to  the  right  and 
left  before  us.  We  could  distinctly  trace  the  meander- 
ing course  of  the  main  Canadian  and  various  smaller 
streams,  by  the  strips  of  green  forest  that  bordered 
them.  The  landscape  was  vast  and  beautiful.  There 
is  always  an  expansion  of  feeling  in  looking  upon  these 
boundless  and  fertile  wastes ;  but  I  was  doubly  con- 
scious of  it  after  emerging  from  our  "close  dungeon  of 
innumerous  boughs." 

From  a  rising  ground  Beattie  pointed  out  to  us  the 
place  where  he  and  his  comrades  had  killed  the  buiTa- 
los  ;  and  we  beheld  several  black  objects  moving  in  the 
distance,  which  he  said  were  part  of  the  herd.  The 
captain  determined  to  shape  his  course  to  a  woody  bot- 
.  torn  about  a  mile  distant,  and  to  encamp  there  for  a  day 
or  two,  by  way  of  having  a  regular  buffalo  hunt,  and 
getting  a  supply  of  provisions.  As  the  troops  filed 
along  the  slope  of  the  hill  towards  the  camping-ground, 
Beattie  proposed  to  my  messmates  and  myself  that  we 
should  put  ourselves  under  his  guidance,  promising  to 
take  us  where  we  should  have  plenty  of  sport.  Leav- 
ing the  line  of  march,  therefore,  we  diverged  towards 
the  Prairies,  traversing  a  small  valley,  and  ascending  a 
gentle  swell  of  land.     As  we  reached  the  summit  we 


SCENES    IN    THE    PRAIRIE.  301 

beheld  a  gang  of  wild  horses  about  a  mile  off.  Beattie 
was  immediately  on  the  alert,  and  no  longer  thought  of 
buffalo-hunting.  He  was  mounted  on  his  powerful  wild 
horse,  with  a  lariat  coiled  at  the  saddle-bow,  and  set  off 
in  pursuit,  while  we  remained  on  a  rising  ground  watch- 
ing the  manoeuvres  with  great  solicitude.  Taking  ad- 
vantage of  a  strip  of  woodland,  he  stole  quietly  along, 
so  as  to  get  close  to  them  before  he  was  perceived.  The 
moment  they  caught  sight  of  him,  a  grand  scamper  took 
place.  We  watched  him  skirting  along  the  horizon, 
like  a  privateer  in  full  chase  of  a  merchantman  :  at 
length  he  passed  over  the  brow  of  a  ridge,  and  down 
into  a  shallow  valley  ;  in  a  few  moments  he  was  on  the 
opposite  hill,  and  close  upon  one  of  the  horses.  He 
was  soon  head  and  head,  and  appeared  to  be  trying  to 
noose  his  prey  :  but  they  both  disappeared  again  below 
the  hill,  and  we  saw  no  more  of  them.  It  turned  out, 
afterwards,  that  he  had  noosed  a  powerful  horse,  but 
could  not  hold  him,  and  had  lost  his  lariat  in  the  attempt. 
Whilst  we  were  waiting  for  his  return,  we  perceived 
two  buffalo  bulls  descending  a  slope  towards  a  stream, 
which  wound  through  a  ravine  fringed  with  trees.  The 
young  Count  and  myself  endeavoured  to  get  near  them, 
under  covert  of  the  trees.  They  discovered  us  while 
we  were  yet  300  or  400  yards  off,  and  turning  about, 
retreated  up  the  rising  ground.  We  urged  our  horses 
across  the  ravine,  and  gave  chase.  The  immense  weight 
of  head  and  shoulders  causes  the  buffalo  to  labour 
heavily  up  hill,  but  it  accelerates  his  descent.  We  had 
the  advantage,  therefore,  and  gained  rapidly  upon  the 
fugitives,  though  it  was  difficult  to  get  our  horses  to 
approach  them,  their  very  scent  inspiring  them  with 
terror.  The  Count,  who  had  a  double-barrelled  gun, 
loaded  with  ball,  fired,  but  missed.  The  bulls  now 
altered  their  course,  and  galloped  down  hill  with  head- 


302  SCENES    IN   THE    PRAIRIE. 

long  rapidity.  As  they  ran  in  different  directions,  we 
each  singled  out  one,  and  separated.  I  was  provided 
with  a  brace  of  veteran  brass-barrelled  pistols,  which 
I  had  borrowed  at  Fort  Gibson,  and  which  had  evidently 
seen  some  service.  Pistols  are  very  effective  in  buffalo- 
hunting,  as  the  hunter  can  ride  up  close  to  the  animal, 
and  fire  at  it  while  at  full  speed,  whereas  the  long 
heavy  rifles  used  on  the  frontier  cannot  be  easily 
managed,  nor  discharged  with  accurate  aim  from  horse- 
back. My  object,  therefore,  was  to  get  within  pistol- 
shot  of  the  buffalo.  This  was  no  very  easy  matter.  I 
was  well  mounted,  on  a  horse  of  excellent  speed  and 
bottom,  that  seemed  eager  for  the  chase,  and  soon  over- 
took the  game,  but  the  moment  he  came  nearly  parallel 
he  would  keep  sheering  off,  with  ears  forked  and  pricked 
forward,  and  every  symptom  of  aversion  and  alarm.  It 
was  no  wonder.  Of  all  animals,  a  buffalo,  when  close 
pressed  by  the  hunter,  has  an  aspect  the  most  diaboli- 
cal. His  two  short  black  horns  curve  out  of  a  huge 
frontlet  of  shaggy  hair ;  his  eyes  glow  like  coals ;  his 
mouth  is  open,  his  tongue  parched  and  drawn  up  into 
a  half-crescent  ;  his  tail  is  erect,  and  the  tufted  end 
whisking  about  in  the  air ; — he  is  a  perfect  picture  of 
mingled  rage  and  terror. 

It  was  with  difficulty  I  urged  my  horse  sufficiently 
near,  when,  taking  aim,  to  my  chagrin  both  pistols 
missed  fire.  Unfortunately,  the  locks  of  these  veteran 
weapons  were  so  much  worn,  that  in  the  gallop  the 
priming  had  been  shaken  out  of  the  pans.  At  the  snap- 
ping of  the  last  pistol  I  was  close  upon  the  buffalo,  when, 
in  his  despair,  he  turned  round  with  a  sudden  snort, 
and  rushed  upon  me.  My  horse  wheeled  about,  as  if  on 
a  pivot,  made  a  convulsive  spring,  and,  as  I  had  been 
leaning  on  one  side  with  pistol  extended,  I  came  near 
being  thrown  at  the  feet  of  the  buffalo.     Three  bounds 


SCENES    IN   THE    PRAIRIE.  303 

of  the  horse  carried  us  out  of  reach  of  the  enemy,  who, 
having  merely  turned  in  desperate  self-defence,  quickly 
resumed  his  flight.  As  soon  as  I  could  gather  in  my 
panic-stricken  horse,  and  prime  my  pistols  afresh,  I  again 
spurred  in  pursuit  of  the  buffalo,  who  had  slackened  his 
speed  to  take  breath.  On  my  approach,  he  again  set 
off  at  full  speed,  still  heaving  himself  forward  with  a 
heavy  rolling  gallop,  dashing  with  headlong  precipita- 
tion through  breaks  and  ravines  ;  while  several  deer 
and  wolves,  startled  from  their  coverts  by  his  thunder- 
ing career,  ran  helter-skelter  to  right  and  left  across  the 
waste. 

A  gallop  across  the  prairies  in  pursuit  of  game  is  by 
no  means  so  smooth  a  career  as  those  may  imagine  who 
have  only  the  idea  of  an  open  level  plain.  It  is  true  the 
prairies  of  the  hunting-grounds  are  not  so  much  entan- 
gled with  flowering  plants  and  long  herbage  as  the  lower 
prairies,  and  are  principally  covered  with  short  buffalo 
grass ;  but  they  are  diversified  by  hill  and  dale,  and, 
where  most  level,  are  apt  to  be  cut  up  by  deep  rifts  and 
ravines,  made  by  torrents  after  rains,  and  which,  yawn- 
ing from  an  even  surface,  are  almost  like  pitfalls  in  the 
way  of  the  hunter ;  checking  him  suddenly  when  in  full 
career,  or  subjecting  him  to  the  risk  of  limb  and  life. 
The  plains,  too,  are  beset  by  burrowing  holes  of  small 
animals,  in  which  the  horse  is  apt  to  sink  to  the  fetlock, 
and  throw  both  himself  and  his  rider.  The  late  rain 
had  covered  some  parts  of  the  prairie,  where  the  ground 
was  hard,  with  a  thin  sheet  of  water,  through  which  the 
horse  had  to  dash  his  way.  In  other  parts,  there  were 
innumerable  shallow  hollows,  eight  or  ten  feet  in  dia- 
meter, made  by  the  buffalos,  who  wallow  in  sand  and 
mud  like  swine.  These,  being  filled  with  water,  shone 
like  mirrors,  so  that  the  horse  was  continually  leaping 
over  them,  or  springing  on  one  side.     We  had  reached, 


304  SCENES    IN    THE    PRAIRIE. 

too,  a  rough  part  of  the  prairie,  very  much  broken  and 
cut  up  :  the  buffalo,  who  was  running  for  life,  took  no 
heed  to  his  course,  plunging  down  breakneck  ravines, 
where  it  was  necessary  to  skirt  the  borders  in  search  of 
a  safer  descent.  At  length  he  came  to  where  a  winter 
stream  had  torn  a  deep  chasm  across  the  whole  prairie, 
laying  open  jagged  rocks,  and  forming  a  long  glen  bor- 
dered by  steep  crumbling  cliffs  of  mingled  stone  and 
clay.  Down  one  of  these  the  buffalo  flung  himself, 
half  tumbling,  half  leaping,  and  then  scuttled  off  along 
the  bottom ;  while  I,  seeing  all  farther  pursuit  useless, 
pulled  up,  and  gazed  quietly  after  him  from  the  border 
of  the  cleft,  until  he  disappeared  amidst  the  windings  of 
the  ravine. 

Nothing  now  remained  but  to  turn  my  steed  and  re- 
join my  companions.  Here,  at  first,  was  some  difficulty. 
The  ardour  of  the  chase  had  betrayed  me  into  a  long 
heedless  gallop  :  I  now  found  myself  in  the  midst  of  a 
lonely  waste,  in  which  the  prospect  was  bounded  by 
undulating  swells  of  land,  naked  and  uniform,  where, 
from  the  deficiency  of  land-marks  and  distinct  features, 
an  inexperienced  man  may  become  bewildered,  and  lose 
his  way  as  readily  as  in  the  wastes  of  the  ocean.  The 
day,  too,  was  overcast,  so  that  I  could  not  guide  myself 
by  the  sun.  My  only  mode  was  to  retrace  the  track  my 
horse  had  made  in  coming,  though  this  I  would  after  all 
lose  sight  of,  where  the  ground  was  covered  with  parched 
herbage.  To  one  unaccustomed  to  it,  there  is  some- 
thing inexpressibly  lonely  in  the  solitude  of  a  prairie : 
the  loneliness  of  a  forest  seems  nothing  to  it.  There 
the  view  is  shut  in  by  trees,  and  the  imagination  is  left 
free  to  picture  some  livelier  scene  beyond;  but  here  we 
have  an  immense  extent  of  landscape,  without  a  sign  of 
human  existence.  We  have  the  consciousness  of  being 
far  beyond  the  bounds  of  human  habitation ;  we  feel  as 


SCENES    IN   THE    PRAIRIE.  305 

if  moving  in  the  midst  of  a  desert  world.  As  my  horse 
lagged  slowly  back  over  the  scenes  of  our  late  scamper, 
and  the  delirium  of  the  chase  had  passed  away,  I  was 
peculiarly  sensible  to  these  circumstances.  The  silence 
of  the  waste  was  now  and  then  broken  by  the  cry  of  a 
distant  flock  of  pelicans,  stalking  like  spectres  about  a 
shallow  pool,  sometimes  by  the  sinister  croaking  of  a 
raven  in  the  air,  while  occasionally  a  scoundrel  wolf 
would  scour  off  from  before  me,  and  having  attained  a 
safe  distance,  would  sit  down  and  howl  and  whine,  with 
tones  that  gave  a  dreariness  to  the  surrounding  solitude. 
After  pursuing  my  way  for  some  time,  I  descried  a  horse- 
man on  the  edge  of  a  distant  hill,  and  soon  recognised 
him  to  be  the  Count.  He  had  been  equally  unsuccess- 
ful with  myself.  We  were  shortly  afterwards  rejoined 
by  our  worthy  comrade,  the  virtuoso,  who,  with  specta- 
cles on  his  nose,  had  made  two  or  three  ineffectual 
shots  from  hoiseback. 

We  determined  not  to  seek  the  camp  until  we  had 
made  one  more  effort.  Casting  our  eyes  about  the  sur 
rounding  waste,  we  descried  a  herd  of  buffalos  about 
two  miles  distant,  scattered  apart,  and  quietly  grazing 
near  a  small  strip  of  trees  and  bushes.  It  required  but 
little  stretch  of  fancy  to  picture  them  so  many  cattle 
grazing  on  the  edge  of  a  common,  and  that  the  grove 
might  shelter  some  lonely  farm-house. 

We  now  formed  our  plan  to  circumvent  the  herd,  and, 
by  getting  on  the  other  side  of  them,  to  hunt  them  in 
the  direction  where  we  knew  our  camp  to  be  situated; 
otherwise  the  pursuit  might  take  us  to  such  a  distance, 
as  to  render  it  impossible  to  find  our  way  back  before 
nightfall.  Taking  a  wide  circuit,  therefore,  we  moved 
slowly  and  cautiously,  pausing  continually,  when  we 
saw  any  of  the  herd  desist  from  grazing.  The  wind 
fortunately  set  from  them,  otherwise  they  might  have 


306  SCENES    IN    THE    PRAIRIE. 

scented  us  and  taken  the  alarm.  In  this  way  we  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  round  the  herd  without  disturbing  it. 
It  consisted  of  about  forty  head,  bulls,  cows,  and  calves. 
Separating  to  some  distance  from  each  other,  we  now 
approached  slowly  in  a  parallel  line,  hoping,  by  de- 
grees, to  steal  near  without  exciting  attention.  They 
began,  however,  to  move  off  quietly,  stopping  at  every 
step  or  two  to  gaze ;  when  suddenly  a  bull,  that,  unob- 
served by  us,  had  been  taking  his  siesta  under  a  clump 
of  trees  to  our  left,  roused  himself  from  his  lair,  and 
hastened  to  join  his  companions.  We  were  still  at  a 
considerable  distance,  but  the  game  had  taken  the  alarm. 
We  quickened  our  pace,  they  broke  into  a  gallop,  and 
now  commenced  a  full  chase. 

As  the  ground  was  level,  they  shouldered  along  with 
great  speed,  following  each  other  in  a  line,  two  or  three 
bulls  bringing  up  the  rear ;  the  last  of  whom,  from  his 
enormous  size  and  venerable  frontlet  and  beard  of  sun- 
burnt hair,  looked  like  the  patriarch  of  the  herd,  and 
as  if  he  might  long  have  reigned  the  monarch  of  the 
prairie. 

There  is  a  mixture  of  the  awful  and  the  comic  in  the 
look  of  these  huge  animals,  as  they  move  their  great 
bulk  forwards,  with  an  up-and-down  motion  of  the  un- 
wieldy head  and  shoulders,  their  tail  cocked  up  like  the 
queue  of  Pantaloon  in  a  pantomime,  the  end  whisking 
about  in  a  fierce  yet  whimsical  style,  and  their  eyes 
glaring  venomously  with  an  expression  of  fright  and 
fury. 

For  some  time  I  kept  parallel  with  the  line,  without 
being  able  to  force  my  horse  within  pistol  shot,  so 
much  had  he  been  alarmed  by  the  assault  of  the  buffalo 
in  the  preceding  chase.  At  length  I  succeeded ;  but 
was  again  balked  by  my  pistols  missing  fire.  My  com- 
panions, whose  horses  were  less  fleet  and  more  way- 


SCENES    IN   THE    PRAIRIE.  ,  307 

worn,  could  not  overtake  the  herd  ;  at  length  Mr.  L., 
who  was  in  the  rear  of  the  line,  and  losing  ground, 
levelled  his  double-barrelled  gun,  and  fired  a  long  raking 
shot.  It  struck  a  buffalo  just  above  the  loins,  broke 
his  back  bone,  and  brought  him  to  the  ground.  He 
stopped,  and  alighted  to  dispatch  his  prey,  when,  bor- 
rowing his  gun,  which  had  yet  a  charge  remaining  in 
it,  I  put  my  horse  to  his  speed,  again  overtook  the  herd, 
which  was  thundering  along  pursued  by  the  Count. 
"With  my  present  weapon  there  was  no  need  of  urging 
my  horse  to  such  close  quarters ;  galloping  along  pa- 
rallel, therefore,  I  singled  out  a  buffalo,  and  by  a  fortu- 
nate shot  brought  it  down  on  the  spot.  The  ball  had 
struck  a  vital  part :  it  could  not  move  from  the  place 
where  it  fell,  but  lay  there  struggling  in  mortal  agony, 
while  the  rest  of  the  herd  kept  on  their  headlong  career 
across  the  prairie. 

Dismounting,  I  now  fettered  my  horse  to  prevent  his 
straying,  and  advanced  to  contemplate  the  victim.  I  am 
nothing  of  a  sportsman;  I  had  been  prompted  to  this 
unwonted  exploit  by  the  magnitude  of  the  game  and 
the  excitement  of  an  adventurous  chase.  Now  that 
the  excitement  was  over,  I  could  not  but  look  with 
commiseration  upon  the  poor  animal  that  lay  struggling 
and  bleeding  at  my  feet.  His  very  size  and  importance, 
which  had  before  inspired  me  with  eagerness,  now  in- 
creased my  compunction.  It  seemed  as  if  I  had  inflicted 
pain  in  proportion  to  the  bulk  of  my  victim,  and  as  if 
there  were  a  hundred-fold  greater  waste  of  life  than 
there  would  have  been  in  the  destruction  of  an  animal 
of  inferior  size. 

To  add  to  these  after-qualms  of  conscience,  the  poor 
animal  lingered  in  his  agony.  He  had  evidently  re- 
ceived a  mortal  wound,  but  death  might  be  long  in 
coming.      It  would  not  do  to  leave  him  here  to  be  torn 


308  ,  SCENES    IN   THE    PRAIRIE. 

piecemeal  while  alive,  by  the  wolves  that  already 
snuffed  his  blood,  and  were  skulking  and  howling  at  a 
distance,  and  waiting  for  my  departure,  and  by  the 
ravens  that  were  flapping  about  and  croaking  dismally 
in  the  air.  It  became  now  an  act  of  mercy  to  give  him 
his  quietus,  and  put  him  out  of  his  misery.  I  primed 
one  of  the  pistols,  therefore,  and  advanced  close  up  to 
the  buffalo.  To  inflict  a  wound  thus  in  cold  blood,  I 
found  a  totally  different  thing  from  firing  in  the  heat  of 
the  chase.  Taking  aim,  however,  just  behind  the  fore- 
shoulder,  my  pistol  for  once  proved  true  :  the  ball  must 
have  passed  through  the  heart,  for  the  animal  gave  one 
convulsive  throe,  and  expired. 

While  I  stood  meditating  and  moralizing  over  the 
wreck  I  had  so  wrantonly  produced,  with  my  horse 
grazing  near  me,  I  was  rejoined  by  my  fellow-sports- 
man, the  virtuoso,  who,  being  a  man  of  universal  adroit- 
ness, and  withal  more  experience,  and  hardened  in  the 
gentle  art  of  "venerie,"  soon  managed  to  carve  out  the 
tongue  of  the  buffalo,  and  delivered  it  to  me  to  bear 
back  to  the  camp  as  a  trophy. 


RINGING   THE    WILD    HORSE. 

We  left  the  buffalo  camp  about  eight  o'clock,  and 
had  a  toilsome  and  harassing  march  of  two  hours  over 
ridges  of  hills  covered  with  a  ragged  meagre  forest  of 
scrub  oaks  and  broken  by  deep  gullies.  Among  the 
oaks,  I  observed  many  of  the  most  diminutive  size, 
some  not  above  a  foot  high,  yet  bearing  abundance  of 
small  acorns.  The  whole  of  the  Cross  Timbers,  in 
fact,  abound  with  mast.      There  is  a  pine  oak  which 


SCENES  IN  THE  PRAIRIE.  309 

produces  an  acorn  pleasant  to  the  taste,  and  ripening 
early  in  the  season. 

About  10  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  came  to  where 
this  line  of  rugged  hills  swept  down  into  a  valley 
through  which  flowed  the  north  fork  of  the  Red  River. 
A  beautiful  meadow  about  half  a  mile  wide,  enamelled 
with  yellow  autumnal  flowers,  stretched  for  two  or 
three  miles  along  the  foot  of  the  hills,  bordered  on  the 
opposite  side  by  the  river,  whose  banks  were  fringed 
with  cotton-wood  trees,  the  bright  foliage  of  which  re- 
freshed and  delighted  the  eye,  after  being  wearied  by 
the  contemplation  of  monotonous  wastes  of  brown 
forest. 

The  meadow  was  finely  diversified  by  groves  and 
clumps  of  trees,  so  happily  disposed,  that  they  seemed 
as  if  set  out  by  the  hand  of  art.  As  we  cast  our  eyes 
over  this  fresh  and  delightful  valley,  we  beheld  a  troop 
of  wild  horses  quietly  grazing  on  a  green  lawn  about 
a  mile  distant  to  our  right,  while  to  our  left,  at  nearly 
the  same  distance,  were  several  buffalos,  some  feed- 
ing, others  reposing  and  ruminating  among  the  high 
rich  herbage,  under  the  shade  of  a  clump  of  cotton- 
wood  trees.  The  whole  had  the  appearance  of  a  broad 
beautiful  tract  of  pasture-land,  on  the  highly  orna- 
mented estate  of  some  gentleman  farmer,  with  his  cattle 
grazing  about  the  lawns  and  meadows. 

A  council  of  war  was  now  held,  and  it  was  determined 
to  profit  by  the  present  favourable  opportunity,  and  try 
our  hand  at  the  grand  hunting  manoeuvre,  which  is  called 
ringing  the  wild  horse.  This  requires  a  large  party  of 
horsemen  well  mounted.  They  extend  themselves  in 
each  direction  singly,  at  certain  distances  apart,  and 
gradually  form  a  ring  of  two  or  three  miles  in  circum- 
ference, so  as  to  surround  the  game.  This  has  to  be 
done  with  extreme  care ;  for  the  wild  horse  is  the  most 


310  SCENES    IN   THE    PRAIRIE. 

readily  alarmed  inhabitant  of  the  prairie,  and  scents  a 
hunter  at  a  great  distance,  if  to  windward. 

The  ring-  being  formed,  two  or  three  hunters  ride 
towards  the  horses,  who  start  off  in  an  opposite  direction; 
wherever  they  approach  the  bounds  of  the  ring,  however, 
a  huntsman  presents  himself  and  turns  them  from  their 
course.  In  this  way  they  are  checked  and  driven  back 
at  every  point,  and  kept  galloping  round  and  round  this 
magic  circle,  until,  being  completely  tired  down,  it  is 
easy  for  the  hunters  to  ride  up  beside  them,  and  throw 
their  lariats  over  their  heads.  The  prime  horses  of  most 
speed,  courage,  and  bottom,  however,  are  apt  to  break 
through  and  escape ;  so  that,  in  general,  it  is  the  second- 
rate  horses  that  are  taken. 

Preparations  were  now  made  for  a  hunt  of  this  kind. 
The  pack-horses  were  taken  into  the  woods,  and  firmly 
tied  to  trees,  lest  in  a  rush  of  the  wild  horses,  they 
should  break  away  with  them.  Twenty-five  men  were 
sent  under  the  command  of  a  lieutenant  to  steal  along 
the  edge  of  the  valley  within  the  strip  of  woods  that 
skirted  the  hills.  They  were  to  station  themselves  about 
fifty  yards  apart,  within  the  edge  of  the  woods,  and  not 
to  advance  or  show  themselves  until  the  horses  dashed 
in  that  direction.  Twenty-five  men  were  sent  across  the 
valley  to  steal  in  like  manner  along  the  river  bank  that 
bordered  on  the  opposite  side,  and  to  station  themselves 
among  the  trees.  A  third  party,  of  about  the  same 
number,  was  to  form  a  line  stretching  across  the  lower 
part  of  the  valley,  so  as  to  connect  the  two  wings. 
Beattie,  and  our  other  half-breed,  Antoine,  together  with 
the  ever -officious  Tonish,  were  to  make  a  circuit  through 
the  woods,  so  as  to  get  to  the  upper  part  of  the  valley 
in  the  rear  of  the  horses,  and  to  drive  thern  forward  into 
the  kind  of  sack  that  we  had  formed;  while  the  two  wings 
should  join  behind  them  and  make  a  complete  circle. 


SCENES   IN   THE    PRAIRIE.  311 

The  flanking-  parties  were  quietly  extending  them- 
selves, out  of  sight,  on  each  side  of  the  valley,  and  the 
residue  were  stretching  themselves,  like  the  links  of  a 
chain,  across  it,  when  the  wild  horses  gave  signs  that 
they  scented  an  enemy;  snuffing  the  air,  snorting,  and 
looking  about.  At  length  they  pranced  off  slowly 
toward  the  river,  and  disappeared  behind  a  green  bank. 
Here,  had  the  regulations  of  the  chase  been  observed, 
they  would  have  been  quietly  checked  and  turned  by  the 
advance  of  a  hunter  from  among  the  trees :  unluckily, 
however,  we  had  a  widfire  Jack-a-lantern  little  French- 
man to  deal  with.  Instead  of  keeping  quietly  up  the 
right  side  of  the  valley,  to  get  above  the  horses,  the 
moment  he  saw  them  move  towards  the  river,  he  broke 
out  of  the  covert  of  woods  and  dashed  furiously  across 
the  plain  in  pursuit  of  them ;  being  mounted  on  one  of 
the  led  horses  belonging  to  the  Count.  This  put  an  end 
to  all  system.  The  half-breeds,  and  half  a  score  of 
rangers,  joined  in  the  chase.  Away  they  all  went  over 
the  green  bank  ;  in  a  moment  or  two  the  wild  horses  re- 
appeared, and  came  thundering  down  the  valley,  with 
Frenchman,  half-breeds,  and  rangers  galloping  like  mad, 
and  yelling  like  devils,  behind  them.  It  was  in  vain  that 
the  line  drawn  across  the  valley  attempted  to  check  and 
turn  back  the  fugitives.  They  were  too  hotly  pressed 
by  their  pursuers.  In  their  panic  they  dashed  through 
the  line,  and  clattered  down  the  plain.  The  whole  troop 
joined  in  the  headlong  chase;  some  of  the  rangers  with- 
out hats  or  caps,  their  hair  flying  about  their  eyes, 
others  wTith  handkerchiefs  tied  round  their  heads.  The 
buflfalos,  that  had  been  calmly  ruminating  among  the 
herbage,  heaved  up  their  huge  forms,  gazed  for  a  moment 
with  astonishment  at  the  tempest  that  came  scouring 
down  the  meadow,  then  turned  and  took  a  heavy  rolling 
flight.     They  were  soon  overtaken:   the  promiscuous 


312  SCENES  IN    THE    PRAIRIE. 

throng  were  pressed  together  by  the  contracting  sides 
of  the  valley,  and  away  they  went,  pell-mell — hurry- 
scurry — wild  buffalo,  wild  horse,  wild  huntsman,  with 
clang  and  clatter,  and  whoop  and  halloo,  that  made  the 
forests  ring. 

At  length  the  buffalos  turned  into  a  green  brake  on 
the  river  bank ;  while  the  horses  dashed  up  a  narrow 
defile  of  the  hills  with  their  pursuers  close  at  their  heels. 
Beattie  passed  several  of  these,  having  fixed  his  eye  upon 
a  fine  Pawnee  horse  that  had  his  ears  slit  and  saddle 
mark  on  his  back.  He  pressed  him  gallantly,  but  lost 
him  in  the  woods.  Among  the  wTild  horses  was  a  fine 
black  mare  far  gone  with  foal.  In  scrambling  up  the 
defile  she  tripped  and  fell.  A  young  ranger  sprang  from 
his  horse,  and  seized  her  by  the  mane  and  muzzle. 
Another  ranger  dismounted  and  came  to  his  assistance. 
The  mare  struggled  fiercely,  kicking  and  biting  and 
striking  with  her  fore  feet ;  but  a  noose  was  slipped 
over  her  head,  and  her  struggles  were  in  vain.  It  was 
some  time,  however,  before  she  gave  over  rearing  and 
plunging  and  lashing  out  with  her  feet  on  every  side. 
The  two  rangers  then  led  her  along  the  valley  by  two 
long  lariats,  which  enabled  them  to  keep  at  a  sufficient 
distance  on  each  side  to  be  out  of  the  reach  of  her  hoofs ; 
and  whenever  she  struck  out  in  one  direction  she  was 
jerked  to  the  other.  In  this  way  her  spirit  was  gradually 
subdued. 

As  to  that  little  scaramouch,  Tonish,  who  had  marred 
the  whole  scheme  by  his  precipitancy,  he  had  been  more 
successful  than  he  deserved,  having  managed  to  catch  a 
beautiful  cream-coloured  colt,  about  seven  months  old, 
that  had  not  strength  to  keep  up  with  his  companions. 
The  mercurial  little  Frenchman  was  beside  himself  with 
exultation.  It  was  amusing  to  see  him  with  his  prize. 
The  colt  would  rear  and  kick  and  struggle  to  get  free, 


THE    EVERLASTING   ROSE.  313 

while  Tonish  would  take  him  by  the  neck,  wrestle  with 
him,  jump  on  his  back,  and  cut  as  many  antics  as  a 
monkey  with  a  kitten.  Nothing  surprised  me  more, 
however,  than  to  witness  how  soon  these  poor  animals 
thus  taken  from  the  unbounded  freedom  of  the  prairie, 
yielded  to  the  dominion  of  man.  In  the  course  of  two 
or  three  days  the  mare  and  the  two  colts  went  with  the 
led  horses  and  became  quite  docile. 


THE  EVERLASTING  ROSE. 

Hail  to  thy  hues!  thou  lovely  flower; 

Still  shed  around  thy  soft  perfume : 
Still  smile  amid  the  wintry  hour, 

And  boast,  ev'n  now,  a  spring-tide  bloom. 

Thine  is,  methinks,  a  pleasing  dream, 

Lone  ling'rer  in  the  icy  vale, 
Of  smiles  that  hail'd  the  morning  beam, 

And  sighs  more  sweet  for  evening's  gale. 

Still  are  thy  green  leaves  whispering 
Low  sounds  to  Fancy's  ear  that  tell 

Of  mornings,  when  the  wild  bee's  wing 
Shook  dew-drops  from  thy  sparkling  cell. 

In  April's  bower  thy  sweets  are  breath'd, 
And  June  beholds  thy  blossoms  fair; 

In  Autumn's  chaplet  thou  art  wreath'd, 
And  round  December's  forehead  bare. 
21 


314  ADVENTURE    ON   THE    ADIGE. 

With  thee  the  graceful  lily  vied, 
As  summer  breezes  wav'd  her  head, 

And  now  the  snow-drop  at  thy  side 
Meekly  contrasts  thy  cheerful  red. 

'Tis  thine  to  hear  each  varying  voice, 
That  marks  the  seasons  sad  or  gay ; 

The  summer  thrush  bids  thee  rejoice, 
And  wintry  robin's  dearer  lay. 

Sweet  flower !  how  happy  dost  thou  seem 
'Mid  parching  heat,  'mid  nipping  frost ; 

While  gath'ring  beauty  from  each  beam, 
No  hue,  no  grace  of  thine  is  lost ! 

Thus  Hope,  'mid  life's  severest  days, 
Still  smiles,  still  triumphs  o'er  Despair ; 

Alike  she  lives  in  Pleasure's  rays, 
And  cold  Affliction's  winter  air. 

Charmer  alike  in  lordly  bower 
And  in  the  hermit's  cell,  she  glows ; 

The  poet's  and  the  lover's  flower, 
The  bosom's  Everlasting  Rose  ! 

John  Anster. 


ADVENTURE  ON  THE  ADIGE. 

Those  of  my  readers  who  have  walked  on  the  banks 
of  the  Adige,  below  Rovigo,  will  know,  that,  about  a 
league  and  a  half  from  that  town,  there  are  one  or  two 
islands  in  the  midst  of  the  channel,  between  which  and 
the  shore  the  water  is  not  more  than  a  foot  deep  ;  and 


ADVENTURE    ON   THE   ADIGE.  315 

those  who  have  never  stirred  from  home  have  probably 
heard  that  the  Adige  is  extremely  subject  to  violent 
inundations,  equally  remarkable  for  the  suddenness  of 
their  rise  and  fall,  owing  to  its  mountainous  origin  and 
short  course. 

On  the  evening  of  one  of  the  last  days  of  May,  I 
arrived  opposite  to  one  of  these  islands.  The  water  was 
as  pure  as  crystal,  gently  flowing  over  a  fine  pebbly 
channel  ;  the  island,  which  might  be  about  forty  yards 
from  the  shore  upon  which  I  stood,  though  more  than 
double  that  distance  on  the  other  side,  was  inviting  from 
its  extreme  greenness  and  from  a  profusion  of  hyacinths 
upon  one  side ;  a  flower  to  which  I  am  extremely  par- 
tial. Three  or  four  trees  also  grew  upon  its  edge,  the 
trunks  inclining  over  the  water,  and  with  but  few 
branches.  After  a  day's  walk,  nothing  is  more  agree- 
able than  wading  in  a  stream ;  and  as  I  had  sufficient 
time  to  spare,  I  resolved  upon  reaching  the  island.  This 
was  soon  accomplished  ;  I  found  the  depth  nowhere  ex- 
ceed two  feet,  and  the  island,  when  I  reached  it,  as 
agreeable  as  I  had  fancied  it  to  be ;  and  having  culled 
a  large  bouquet,  I  lay  down  upon  the  hyacinth  bank, 
and  gave  myself  up  to  those  pleasant  recollections  of 
home  and  past  scenes  which  the  fragrance  of  this  flower 
brought  along  with  it.  I  had  lain,  I  think,  about  a 
quarter  of  an  hour,  entirely  forgetful  of  time  and  place, 
— a  busy  actor  in  scenes  far  removed  by  both, — when 
my  attention  was  slightly  roused  by  a  distant  sound, 
which  I  at  first  supposed  to  be  thunder,  a  good  deal 
having  been  heard  to  the  northward  in  the  course  of  the 
day ;  and  when  it  continued  and  grew  louder,  I  still 
supposed  it  was  one  of  those  prolonged  peals  which 
are  so  frequent  to  the  south  of  the  Alps.  Soon,  how- 
ever, the  sound  changed,  and  seemed  like  the  sea  ;  and 
as  it  became  still  louder,  I  started  up  in  some  alarm — 


316  ADVENTURE    ON    THE    ADIGE. 

and  what  a  sight  met  my  eye  !  At  the  distance  of  a  few- 
hundred  yards,  I  saw  a  mountain  of  dark  waters  rush- 
ing towards  me  with  inconceivable  velocity,  like  a 
perpendicular  wall,  and  now  roaring  louder  than  the 
loudest  thunder.  Not  a  moment  was  to  be  lost;  the 
level  of  the  island  would  be  instantly  covered,  and  to 
gain  the  shore  was  impossible,  for  we  cannot  run  through 
water  with  the  swiftness  with  which  we  pass  over  dry 
ground.  I  instantly  made  for  the  largest  of  the  trees, 
and  had  gained  an  elevation  of  about  ten  feet  above  the 
island,  when  the  flood  reached  it.  As  it  came  nearer, 
its  power  appeared  resistless ;  it  seemed  as  if  it  would 
sweep  the  island  from  its  foundations,  and  I  entertained 
not  a  ray  of  hope  that  the  trunk  upon  which  I  was  seated 
would  escape  the  force  of  the  torrent.  It  came,  and  the 
tree  remained  firm — it  covered  the  island  and  all  its 
vegetation  in  an  instant;  and  I  saw  it  rush  beneath 
me,  bearing  along  with  it  the  insignia  of  its  power  and 
fury — huge  branches  and  roots,  fragments  of  bridges, 
implements  of  household  use,  and  dead  animals. 

As  regarded  myself,  the  first  and  immediate  danger  of 
destruction  was  over ;  but  a  moment's  reflection — one 
glance  around  me,  showed  that  I  had  but  small  cause 
for  congratulation.  Betwixt  the  island  and  the  shore,  a 
torrent,  that  no  human  strength  could  withstand,  rolled 
impetuously  on;  and  although  not  fifty  yards  over,  it 
would  have  been  as  impracticable  an  attempt  to  pass 
it,  as  if  its  breadth  had  been  as  many  leagues.  The  first 
rush  had  left  the  tree  unloosened,  yet  a  second  might 
carry  it  away ;  and  the  flood  was  still  rising — almost 
every  moment  I  could  perceive  the  distance  betwixt  me 
and  the  water  diminish  ;  and,  indeed,  I  was  not  more 
than  four  feet  above  its  surface.  I  had  only  two  grounds 
of  hope — the  most  languid,  however,  that  ever  was 
called  by  the  name — it  was  possible  that  some  person 


ADVENTURE  ON  THE  ADIGE.  317 

might  see  my  situation  from  the  shore  before  nightfall, 
and  bring  others  to  my  assistance  ;  and  it  was  possible, 
also,  that  the  river  might  rise  no  higher,  and  speedily 
subside.  The  first  of  these  chances  was  one  of  very  im- 
probable occurrence,  for  this  part  of  the  country  is  but 
thinly  inhabited :  the  high  road  did  not  lie  along  the 
river  side,  and  the  shore,  for  three  or  four  hundred  yards 
from  the  channel  of  the  river,  was  overflowed  to  the 
depth  of  probably  three  or  four  feet;  and,  besides,  it 
was  difficult  to  see  in  what  way  human  aid  could  extri- 
cate me  :  no  boat  could  reach  the  island  ;  and  if  a  rope 
or  cord  could  be  thrown  as  far,  it  was  extremely  im- 
probable that  I  should  catch  it,  as  it  was  impossible  for 
me  to  stir  from  the  tree  upon  which  I  was  seated;  and 
as  to  any  likelihood  of  the  water  subsiding,  there  was 
no  appearance  of  it ;  it  was  at  all  events  impossible  that 
this  could  happen  before  nightfall. 

In  this  dreadful  and  perilous  situation,  evening  passed 
away  ;  no  one  appeared,  and  the  river  still  continued  to 
rise.  The  sky  lowered  and  looked  threatening ;  the  tor- 
rent rushed  by,  darker  and  more  impetuous,  every  few 
moments  reminding  me,  by  the  wrecks  which  it  bore 
along  with  it,  of  the  frailty  of  the  tenure  by  which  I 
held  my  existence.  The  shores  on  both  sides  were 
changed  into  wide  lakes;  and  the  red  sun  went  angrily 
down  over  a  waste  of  red  waters.  Night  at  length 
closed  in — and  a  dreadful  night  it  was.  Sometimes  I 
fancied  the  tree  was  loosening  from  its  roots,  and  sloped 
more  over  the  water;  sometimes  I  imagined  the  whole 
island  was  swept  away,  and  that  I  was  sailing  down  the 
torrent.  I  found  that  my  mind  occasionally  wandered, 
and  I  had  the  precaution  to  take  out  of  my  pocket  a  silk 
handkerchief,  which  I  tore  in  several  strips,  and,  tying 
them  together,  bound  myself  round  the  middle  to  a 
pretty  thick  branch  which  supported  my  back;   this,  I 


318  ADVENTURE    ON   THE    ADIGE. 

thought,  might  prevent  me  from  falling,  if  giddiness 
seized  me,  or  momentary  sleep  should  overtake  me. — 
During  the  night,  many  strange  fancies  came  over  me, 
besides  that  very  frequent  one  of  supposing  the  island 
sailing  down  the  torrent.  Sometimes  I  fancied  I  was 
whirling  round  and  round ;  at  other  times,  I  thought 
the  torrent  was  flowing  backward ;  now  and  then,  I 
fancied  I  saw  huge  black  bodies  carried  towards  me 
upon  the  surface,  and  I  shrunk  back:  to  avoid  contact 
with  them ;  at  other  times,  I  imagined  something  rose 
out  of  the  water  beneath,  and  attempted  to  drag  me 
down;  often  I  felt  convinced  I  heard  screams  mingle 
with  the  rushing  torrent ;  and  once  all  sound  seemed 
entirely  to  cease,  and  I  could  have  ventured  almost  to 
descend,  so  certain  I  felt  that  the  channel  was  dry  ; 
once  or  twice  I  dropped  asleep  for  a  moment,  but  al- 
most instantly  awoke  with  so  violent  a  start,  that  if  I 
had  not  been  fastened,  I  must  have  fallen  from  my 
seat. 

The  night  gradually  wore  away ;  it  was  warm  and 
dry,  so  that  I  suffered  no  inconvenience  from  cold.  I 
became  nearly  satisfied  of  the  stability  of  the  trunk, 
which  was  my  only  refuge;  and  although  deliverance 
was  uncertain,  at  all  events  distant,  I  made  up  my 
mind  to  endure  as  long  as  I  could ;  and  thus  I  passed 
the  night,  under  a  starless  sky,  and  the  dark  flood  roar- 
ing beneath  me.  Before  morning  broke,  I  felt  assured 
that  the  waters  had  begun  to  subside;  the  noise,  I 
thought,  was  less  ;  I  fancied  I  saw  shrubs  appear  above 
water  on  the  island,  and  trees  upon  the  shore  assume 
their  usual  appearance ;  and  with  the  first  dawn  of  day, 
I  joyfully  perceived  that  I  had  not  been  mistaken  :  the 
flood  had  fallen  at  least  three  feet;  and  before  sunrise, 
the  greater  part  of  the  island  was  left  dry.  Never  did 
criminal,  reprieved  upon  the   scaffold,  shake   off  his 


ADVENTURE    ON    THE    ADIGE.  319 

bonds  with  more  joy  than  I  did  mine  that  bound  me  to 
fie  tree.  I  crept  down  the  trunk,  which  still  hung 
O^er  the  torrent,  and  stepped  about  knee*deep  on  the 
island ;  I  then  waded  to  the  part  which  was  dry,  and 
lay  down,  exhausted  with  the  night's  watching,  and 
aching  with  the  position  in  which  I  had  been  obliged 
to  remain. 

The  water  now  continued  to  fall  perceptibly  every 
moment;  soon  the  island  was  entirely  dry,  and  the  in- 
undation on  shore  had  subsided  into  the  natural  chan- 
nel ;  but  still  the  torrent  was  too  strong  and  deep  to 
attempt  a  passage,  especially  weakened  as  I  was  by 
the  occurrences  of  the  last  twelve  hours,  and  by  the 
want  cf  food.  I  had  no  certainty  as  to  the  hour,  for  I 
had  net  of  course  remembered  to  wind  up  my  watch 
the  evening  before  ;  judging  from  the  height  of  the  sun, 
however,  the  water  had  so  much  diminished  before  noon, 
that  in  two  or  three  hours  more  I  might  attempt  to  gain 
the  shore.  About  three  in  the  afternoon  I  accordingly 
entered  the  stream  ;  I  found  it  then  nowhere  deeper 
than  four  feet,  and,  with  a  little  struggling  and  buffeting, 
succeeded  in  gaining  the  bank,  which  I  once  thought  I 
should  never  have  trodden  more.  The  bunch  of  hya- 
cinths, which  I  had  not  forgotten  to  bring  from  the 
island,  I  still  held  in  my  hand.  I  have  dried  a  few  of 
them,  and  kept  them  ever  since  ;  never  do  I  smell  this 
flower,  as  I  walk  through  the  woods  or  the  fields,  that 
I  do  not  experience  in  part  the  sensations  I  felt  when 
I  lifted  my  head  and  saw  the  impetuous  flood  rushing 
towards  me;  and,  however  dreadful  a  reality  may  be, 
the  recollection  of  it  is  not  unmixed  with  pleasure.  1 
often  open  the  leaves  where  lie  these  withered  hya- 
cinths, and  I  cannot  say  that,  when  I  look  upon  them, 
I  ever  think  they  have  been  dearly  purchased. 

Conway's  Solitary  Walks  through  many  Lands. 


320 


THE   CROCODILE   PITS   OF   EGYPT. 

While  we  were  undressing  and  lighting  our  candles, 
those  who  were  to  enter  betook  themselves  to  prayer,  as 
persons  about  to  plunge  into  desperate  peril.  I  again 
descended  before  the  others,  and  as  the  smell  seemed 
less  disgusting  than  on  the  day  before,  did  not  in  the 
least  doubt  being  able  to  withstand  the  malaria,  or  rae- 
phitic  vapour,  whatever  it  might  be.  When  the  Arabs 
had  prayed,  and  stripped  themselves  nearly  naked,  we 
took  each  a  taper  in  our  hands,  and  began  to  move  for- 
wards. The  old  man,  his  son,  and  two  other  Arabs, 
led  the  way  ;  my  servant  and  I  followed ;  and  Monro 
came  close  after  me,  with  a  guide,  who  was  to  show  the 
way  back,  if  we  should  find  it  impossible  to  proceed. 
Having  reached  the  large  chamber  where  we  had  wasted 
so  much  time  on  the  preceding  day,  the  old  guide  turned 
to  the  right,  and  crept  forward  through  a  small  hole,  the 
mouth  of  which  was  concealed  by  a  projecting  rock.  We 
all  followed  in  the  order  we  had  observed  in  entering, 
and,  after  proceeding  about  twenty  yards,  arrived  in  the 
large  natural  chamber  described  by  Legh  and  Henniker, 
the  latter  of  whom  advanced  no  farther.  Continuing 
to  push  forward,  we  entered  a  portion  of  the  cavern  of 
a  most  hideous  appearance;  enormous  rocks,  huddled 
together,  forming  the  floor,  where  chasms  of  unknown 
depth  yawned  between  the  dark  masses,  while  prodi- 
gious black  stalactites,  with  shining  spars  of  crystal  glit- 
tering between  them,  hung  like  dead  snakes  from  the 
roof,  and  composed  a  kind  of  fretwork  round  the  sides. 
Every  thing  wore  the  fuliginous  appearance  of  a  place 
which  had  been  the  seat  of  some  durable  conflagration ; 
black  as  night,  covered  with  soot,  oily,  slippery,  and  ex- 


THE    CROCODILE    PITS    OF    EGYPT.  321 

haling  a  stench  unutterably  disgusting.  Bats  without 
number  hung  from  the  roof,  or  flew  against  our  faces, 
from  the  countless  holes  and  narrow  diverging  passages 
of  the  cavern ;  some  striking  against  the  rocks  and  fall- 
ing senseless  to  the  ground,  where  we  trode  or  pressed 
upon  them  with  our  hands — for  there  was  no  time  to 
be  nice  in  picking  our  way.  At  length,  they  began  to 
cling  about  my  neck  and  bite  my  hands,  and  several 
times  extinguished  my  taper ;  but  this  was  merely  dis- 
agreeable. By  degrees,  however,  the  passage  grew  low 
and  narrow,  so  that  it  became  necessary  to  creep  for- 
ward on  hands  and  knees,  with  our  heads  very  low,  that 
they  might  not  strike  against  the  rocks  This  position 
I  found  extremely  painful.  The  heat  likewise  appeared 
to  be  insufferable,  and  the  perspiration  streamed  from 
our  bodies  like  rain.  My  companions,  according  to  the 
advice  of  the  principal  guide,  had  stripped  nearly  to  the 
skin ;  but,  trusting  to  my  capacity  for  enduring  heat,  I 
had  slighted  his  counsel,  and  now  suffered  the  penalty 
of  my  imprudence.  Still,  however,  T  continued  in  the 
track  of  the  guide ;  but  having  advanced  about  three  or 
four  hundred  yards,  I  felt  the  blood  rush  to  my  head, 
and  experienced  great  sickness  and  faintness,  accompa- 
nied by  an  extraordinary  oppression  of  the  lungs,  greatly 
augmented  by  the  odour  of  putrid  corpses  which  issued 
from  the  extremities  of  the  cave,  and  appeared  to  in- 
crease every  moment.  For  this  effect,  I  never  could 
fully  account.  In  all  the  tombs,  and  caverns,  and 
mummy-pits  which  we  had  hitherto  entered,  I  had 
seemed  to  suffer  less  than  any  one,  and  could  remain  in 
them  whole  hours  without  inconvenience ;  but  now  the 
case  was  different.  In  a  short  time,  my  head  grew 
dizzy,  and  the  cavern  seemed  to  reel  and  swim  round. 
Supposing  I  was  about  to  faint,  in  which  case  recovery 
would  have  been  next  to  impossible,  I  requested  Monro, 


322  THE    CROCODILE    PITS    OF    EGYPT. 

who  seemed  to  experience  nothing-  of  the  kind,  to  en- 
deavour to  pass  me,  which  the  narrowness  of  the  passage 
rendered  nearly  impracticable,  and  ordered  the  Arab  in 
the  rear  to  lead  the  way  back.  Monro  and  Suleiman 
proceeded.  When  I  had  regained  that  part  of  the  pas- 
sage where  it  was  possible  to  stand  upright,  the  fulness 
and  dizziness  of  the  head  abated,  but  my  eyes  seemed 
to  have  grown  dim,  and  I  fancied  we  had  lost  our  way. 
The  guide,  who  evidently  shared  my  suspicion,  paused, 
and  surveyed  the  various  openings  with  terror,  while 
his  trembling  hands  could  scarcely  hold  the  taper.  The 
cavern,  in  fact,  appeared  to  have  enlarged,  the  passages 
to  have  grown  more  numerous,  and  the  stench  and  black- 
ness more  infernal.  I  crept  along  with  the  utmost  diffi- 
culty, the  bats  flitting  before  or  striking  against  me, 
and  looking  with  intense  longing  for  the  appearance  of 
light  and  the  smell  of  fresh  air.  A  draught  of  water 
might  perhaps  have  revived  me,  but  the  guides  had 
neglected  to  bring  any  into  the  cavern,  and  to  this  cir- 
cumstance I  probably  owed  my  extreme  disappointment, 
and  might  have  owed  something  worse.  As  the  way 
appeared  so  much  longer  than  it  had  in  entering,  the 
suspicion  frequently  recurred  that  we  had  missed  it;  but 
at  length  I  discovered  a  glimmering  of  light,  and  felt 
the  rushing  in  of  the  external  air,  which  now  seemed 
perfumed,  though  on  my  first  descending,  I  thought  it 
execrable.  On  arriving  at  the  entrance,  the  Arab  flung 
himself  with  a  groan  upon  the  ground  ;  and  I,  completely 
exhausted  and  overcome,  sat  below  upon  the  rock  in  a 
kind  of  dream,  unable  to  climb  the  rocky  ascent  to  the 
plain. — J.  A.  St.  John's  Egypt  and  Mohammed  Mi. 


323 


EARTHQUAKE   AT    ZANTE    IN    1820. 

When  the  servant  led  me  to  my  room,  he  left  a  large 
brass  lamp  lighted,  on  a  ponderous  carved  table  on  the 
opposite  side  to  that  on  which  I  slept.  My  bed,  as  is 
usual  in  this  island,  was  without  a  canopy,  and  open 
above.  As  soon  as  I  got  into  it,  I  lay  for  some  time 
gazing  on  the  ceiling,  with  many  pleasing  ideas  of  per- 
sons and  things  floating  on  my  mind ;  even  the  grotesque 
figures  were  a  source  of  amusement  to  me;  and  I  re- 
member falling  into  a  delightful  sleep  while  I  was  yet 
making  out  fancied  resemblances  to  many  persons  I  was 
acquainted  with. 

The  next  sensation  I  recollect  was  one  indescribably 
tremendous.  The  lamp  was  still  burning,  but  the  whole 
room  was  in  motion.  The  figures  on  the  ceiling  seemed 
to  be  animated,  and  were  changing  places;  presently 
they  were  detached  from  above,  and,  with  large  frag- 
ments of  the  cornice,  fell  upon  me  and  about  the  room. 
An  indefinable  melancholy,  humming  sound  seemed  to 
issue  from  the  earth,  and  run  along  the  outside  of  the 
house,  with  a  sense  of  vibration  that  communicated  an 
intolerable  nervous  feeling;  and  I  experienced  a  fluctu- 
ating motion,  which  threw  me  from  side  to  side,  as  if 
I  were  still  on  board  the  frigate  and  overtaken  by  a  storm. 
The  house  now  seemed  rent  asunder  with  a  violent  crash. 
A  large  portion  of  the  wall  fell  in,  split  into  splinters 
the  oak  table,  extinguished  the  lamp,  and  left  me  in  total 
darkness  ;  while,  at  the  same  instant,  the  thick  walls 
opened  about  me,  and  the  blue  sky,  with  a  bright  star, 
became  for  a  moment  visible  through  one  of  the  chasms. 
I  now  threw  off  my  bed-clothes,  and  attempted  to  escape 
from  the  tottering  house  ;  but  the  ruins  of  the  wall  and 


r 


324  EARTHQUAKE    AT    ZANTE. 

ceiling  had  so  choked  up  the  passage  that  I  could  not 
open  the  door,  and  I  again  ran  back  to  my  bed,  and  in- 
stinctively pulled  over  my  face  the  thick  coverlet,  to 
protect  it  from  the  falling  fragments. 

Up  to  this  period,  I  had  not  the  most  distant  concep- 
tion of  the  cause  of  this  commotion.  The  whole  had 
passed  in  a  few  seconds,  yet  such  was  the  effect  of  each 
circumstance,  that  they  left  on  my  mind  as  distinct  an 
impression  as  if  the  succession  of  my  ideas  had  been 
slow  and  regular.  Still,  I  could  assign  no  reason  for  it 
but  that  the  house  was  going  to  fall,  till  an  incident  oc- 
curred which  caused  the  truth  to  flash  at  once  on  my 
mind.  There  stood  in  the  square  opposite  the  Palazzo, 
a  tall  slender  steeple  of  a  Greek  church,  containing  a 
ring  of  bells,  which  I  had  remarked  in  the  day ;  these 
now  began  to  jangle  with  a  wild  unearthly  sound,  as  if 
some  powerful  hand  had  seized  the  edifice  below,  and 
was  ringing  the  bells  by  shaking  the  steeple.  Then  it 
was  that  I  had  the  first  distinct  conception  of  my  situa- 
tion— I  found  that  the  earthquake  we  had  talked  so 
lightly  of  was  actually  come.  I  felt  that  I  was  in  the 
midst  of  one  of  those  awful  visitations  which  destroy 
thousands  in  a  moment — where  the  superintending  hand 
of  God  seems  for  a  season  to  withdraw  itself,  and  the 
frame  of  the  earth  is  suffered  to  tumble  into  ruins  by 
its  own  convulsions.  I  cannot  describe  my  sensations 
when  I  thus  saw  and  felt  around  me  the  wreck  of  na- 
ture, and  that  with  a  deep  and  firm  conviction  on  my 
mind,  that  to  me  that  moment  was  the  end  of  the  world. 
I  had  before  looked  death  in  the  face  in  many  ways,  and 
had  reason,  more  than  once,  to  familiarize  me  to  his 
appearance  ;  but  this  was  nothing  like  the  ordinary 
thoughts  or  apprehensions  of  dying  in  the  common  way  ; 
the  sensations  were  as  different  as  an  earthquake  and  a 
fever. 


EARTHQUAKE   AT    ZANTE.  325 

But  this  horrible  convulsion  ceased  in  a  moment,  as 
suddenly  as  it  began,  and  a  dead  and  solemn  silence 
ensued.  This  was  soon  broken  by  the  sound  of  lamen- 
tations which  came  from  below  ;  and  I  afterwards  found 
it  to  proceed  from  the  inhabitants  of  an  adjoining  house, 
which  had  been  shaken  down,  and  crushed  to  death 
some,  and  half-buried  others  who  were  trying  to  escape, 
in  the  ruins.  Presently  I  saw  a  light  through  the  cre- 
vice of  the  door  of  my  chamber,  and  heard  the  sound  of 
voices  outside.  It  proceeded  from  the  servants,  who 
came  to  look  for  me  among  the  ruins.  As  they  could 
not  enter  by  the  usual  door- way,  which  was  choked  up, 
they  proceeded  round  to  another ;  but  when  they  saw 
the  room  filled  with  the  wrecks  of  the  wall  and  the  ceil- 
ing, some  of  which  were  lying  on  the  bed,  one  of  them 
said,  "  Sacramento  !  eccolo  schiaccato  !" — there  he  is, 
crushed  to  death ;  and  proceeded  to  remove  the  rubbish 
and  lift  the  bed-clothes.  I  was  lying  unhurt,  buried  in 
thought ;  but  the  dust  caused  me  to  sneeze,  and  relieved 
the  apprehensions  of  the  good  people. 

I  immediately  rose  and  dressed  myself,  and  proceeded 
with  them  about  the  Palazzo,  to  see  the  damage  it  had 
sustained.  The  massive  outside  walls  were  all  sepa- 
rated from  each  other,  and  from  the  partition  walls,  and 
left  chasms  between,  through  which  the  light  appeared. 
Providentially,  the  room  in  which  I  slept  had  the  bed 
against  the  partition-wall,  and  nothing  fell  on  me  but 
pieces  of  the  ceiling  and  cornice ;  had  it  been  on  the 
other  side,  next  the  main  wall,  I  could  not  have  escaped, 
for  it  was  entirely  covered  with  masses  of  masonry, 
which  had  smashed  and  buried  under  them  every  thing 
on  which  they  fell.  I  had  repined  that  I  had  not  been 
able  to  escape  by  the  door  when  I  attempted ;  but  to 
this  circumstance  also  I  now  found  I  was  indebted,  un- 
der Providence,  for  my  preservation.     A  wing  of  the 


326  EARTHQUAKE    AT    ZANTE. 

house  had  fallen  into  the  court-yard,  through  which  I 
had  intended  to  make  my  way ;  and  no  doubt,  had  I 
done  so  at  the  moment  I  tried,  would  have  buried  me 
under  it. 

It  was  now  past  four  in  the  morning-,  and  we  pro- 
ceeded with  intense  anxiety  to  the  government  house, 
to  see  if  any  of  our  friends,  whom  we  had  left  so  well 
and  cheerful  a  few  hours  before,  had  escaped.  The 
weather  had  totally  changed.  The  sky  seemed  to  par- 
take in  the  convulsions  of  the  earth.  It  blew  a  storm, 
driving  the  dark  clouds  along  with  vast  rapidity.  The 
streets  were  full  of  people,  harrying  in  different  direc- 
tions,*but  all  in  profound  silence,  as  if  under  some  awful 
impression,  and  crowding  into  the  churches,  which  were 
everywhere  lighted  up  and  full  of  people.  The  priests 
were  in  their  vestments,  singing  solemn  dirges,  and  the 
congregations  on  their  faces,  prostrated  in  the  profound- 
est  reverence.  We  found  our  friends  all  assembled, 
with  Lord  and  Lady  Strangford,  in  the  dining-hall  of 
the  palace.  To  this  room  they  had  run  in  their  night- 
dress, as  to  a  place  of  more  security,  being  a  ground- 
floor  detached  from  the  edifice,  and  having  no  building 
over  it.  Here  we  sat  till  it  was  light,  telling  our  several 
escapes ;  and  then  I  went  out  into  the  town  to  see  the 
state  in  which  it  was  left.  Nearly  the  whole  of  the 
4000  houses  of  which  it  consisted  were  split  open  in 
different  places,  and  many  from  the  foundation  to  the 
roof.  About  forty  were  lying  prostrate,  and  obstructing 
the  passage  of  the  streets.  The  front  walls  of  many 
were  separated  from  the  sides,  and  hanging  over  the 
way,  seemed  ready  to  fall  every  moment  upon  the  pas- 
senger. This  tendency  of  the  walls  to  fall  out,  saved 
many  lives ;  but  there  was  another  circumstance,  to 
which  their  safety  was  attributed  by  the  Zantiotes  them- 
selves.    The  night  had  been  the  vigil  of  their  great  pa- 


byron's  narrative.  327 

tron  saint  Dionysius,  and  almost  the  whole  population 
were  watching  in  the  streets  or  churches,  and  so  out  of 
their  houses  when  the  shock  came  on.  The  churches 
were  of  immense  strength,  and,  though  all  shaken  and 
shattered,  none  of  them  fell ;  which  the  pious  people 
universally  attributed  to  the  interference  of  the  saint 
whose  rites  they  were  celebrating.  Not  more  than  forty 
dead  bodies  were  found  in  the  ruins.  It  appears,  by 
the  concurrent  testimony  of  several,  that  the  whole  du- 
ration of  the  earth's  motion  was  not  longer  than  fifty 
seconds  or  a  minute;  yet  the  time  was  marked  by  the 
passing  sensations  of  different  people,  so  that  brief  space 
appeared  to  be  hours. 

Walsh's  Travels. 


BYRON'S  NARRATIVE. 

On  the  18th  of  September  1740,  the  Wager,  one  of 
five  ships  of  war  under  the  command  of  Commodore 
Anson,  sailed  with  its  consorts  from  St.  Helen's,  being 
intended  for  service  against  the  Spaniards  in  the  South- 
ern Pacific  Ocean.  The  Wager  was  the  least  effective 
of  all  the  vessels  of  the  squadron,  being  an  old  Indiaman, 
recently  fitted  out  as  a  man  of  war,  and  the  crew  being 
formed  of  men  pressed  from  other  services;  while  all 
the  land  force  on  board  consisted  of  a  detachment  of  in- 
valids, or  men  but  partially  convalescent,  from  Chelsea 
Hospital.  Besides,  being  intended  to  act  as  a  store- 
ship,  the  Wager  was  heavily  laden  with  military  and 
other  stores  for  the  use  of  the  squadron.  All  these  cir- 
cumstances conspired  to  render  the  vessel  more  than 


328  byron's  narrative. 

usually  hazardous,  from  the  very  commencement  of  its 
long  voyage. 

The  Wager  rounded  Cape  Horn,  with  the  other  ships 
in  company,  about  the  beginning  of  April  1741,  and 
soon  after  the  distresses  of  the  ship  began.  The 
weather  became  tempestuous,  and  the  mizzen-mast  was 
carried  away  by  a  heavy  sea,  all  the  chain-plates  to 
windward  being  also  broken.  The  best  bower-anchor 
had  next  to  be  cut  away,  and  the  ship  lost  sight  of  its 
companions.  The  men  were  seized  with  sickness  and 
scurvy,  and  one  evil  followed  another,  till,  on  the  14th 
of  May,  about  four  in  the  morning,  the  ship  struck  on 
a  sunken  rock,  and  was  laid  on  her  beam-ends,  with 
the  sea  breaking  dreadfully  over  her.  All  who  could 
stir  flew  to  the  deck,  bat  some  poor  creatures  who 
could  not  leave  their  hammocks  were  immediately 
drowned.  For  some  time,  until  day  broke,  the  crew 
of  the  Wager  saw  nothing  before  or  around  them  but 
breakers,  and  imagined  that  every  moment  would  be 
their  last.  "  In  this  terrifying  and  critical  juncture 
(says  the  Hon.  Mr.  Byron),  to  have  observed  all  the 
modes  of  horror  operating  according  to  the  several  cha- 
racters and  complexions  amongst  us,  it  was  necessary 
that  the  observer  himself  should  have  been  free  from 
all  impressions  of  danger."  But  still  his  attention  was 
arrested  by  one,  who,  "  in  the  ravings  of  despair,  was 
seen  stalking  about  the  deck  nourishing  a  cutlass  over 
his  head,  and  calling  himself  king  of  the  country,  and 
striking  every  body  he  came  near,  till  his  companions, 
seeing  no  other  security  against  his  tyranny,  knocked 
him  down."  Others  "  grew  very  riotous,  broke  open 
every  chest  and  box  that  was  at  hand,  stove  in  the 
heads  of  casks  of  brandy  and  wine  as  they  were  borne 
up  the  hatchway,  and  got  so  drunk,  that  some  of  them 
were  drowned  on  board,  and  lay  floating  about    the 


byron's  narrative.  329 

decks  for  some  days  after."  A  few  sustained  their 
courage  at  this  fearful  moment.  Captain  Cheap  and 
his  officers  were  unable,  however,  to  maintain  order,  or 
even  to  attempt  it. 

When  daylight  came,  land  was  seen  not  far  off,  and 
the  thoughts  of  all  were  turned  to  the  immediate  leav- 
ing of  the  ship,  and  saving  of  their  lives.  With  the 
help  of  the  boats,  the  crew,  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  who  were  either  drunk  or  thought  the  ship  safe  for 
a  time,  got  on  shore,  but  the  prospect  before  them  was 
still  a  dreadful  one.  "  Whichever  way  we  looked,  a 
scene  of  horror  presented  itself;  on  one  side  the  wreck 
(in  which  was  all  that  we  had  in  the  world  to  support 
and  subsist  us),  together  with  a  boisterous  sea ;  on  the 
other,  the  land  did  not  wear  a  much  more  favourable 
appearance ;  desolate  and  barren,  without  sign  of  cul- 
ture, we  could  hope  to  receive  little  other  benefit  from 
it  than  the  preservation  it  afforded  us  from  the  sea.  We 
had  wet,  cold,  and  hunger  to  struggle  with,  and  no 
visible  remedy  against  any  of  those  evils."  The  land 
on  which  the  crew  had  been  cast  was  unknown  to  them, 
excepting  in  so  far  as  they  were  aware  of  its  being  an 
island  near,  or  a  part  of,  the  western  coast  of  South 
America,  about  a  hundred  leagues  north  of  the  Straits 
of  Magellan.  In  all,  the  shipwrecked  party  amounted 
to  about  one  hundred  and  forty,  exclusive  of  the  few 
on  board.  The  first  night  was  passed  in  an  old  Indian 
hut,  and  the  discovery  of  some  lances  in  a  corner  of  it 
bred  a  new  source  of  alarm — namely,  from  the  natives. 
For  some  days  afterwards,  the  men  were  busied  in  an 
attempt  to  get  beef  casks  and  other  things  from  the 
wreck,  which  did  not  go  entirely  to  pieces  for  a  con- 
siderable time,  although  all  the  articles  on  deck  were 
washed  ashore  one  by  one*  Another  great  difficulty, 
— the  men  who  remained  on  board,  and  who  indulged 
22 


330  byron's  narrative. 

there  in  great  disorder,  were  persuaded  to  come  on 
shore.  With  materials  got  from  the  wreck,  or  cast 
ashore,  tents  were  got  up,  and  a  common  store-tent 
erected  for  all  the  food  or  casks  of  liquor  got  from  the 
ship  in  the  same  way.  This  place  was  watched  inces- 
santly, for  the  allowance  was  of  course  a  very  short  or 
small  one,  and  the  men  could  scarcely  pick  up  a  mor- 
sel of  fish,  flesh,  or  fowl,  on  the  coast  for  themselves. 
The  weather,  also,  continued  wet  and  cold. 

"  111  humour  and  discontent,  from  the  difficulties  we 
laboured  under  in  procuring  sustenance,  and  the  little 
prospect  there  was  of  any  amendment  in  our  condi- 
tion, were  now  breaking  out  apace."  Some  men  sepa- 
rated themselves  from  the  others,  and  ten  of  the  hardiest 
of  these  seceders  resolved  to  desert  altogether.  They 
got  a  canoe  made,  "  went  away  up  one  of  the  lagoons, 
and  were  never  heard  of  more  !"  The  spirit  of  discord 
was  much  aggravated  by  an  accident  that  occurred  on 
the  10th  of  May.  A  midshipman  named  Cozens,  who 
had  roused  the  anger  of  Captain  Cheap  by  various  acts 
and  words,  was  finally  shot  by  his  superior's  hand. 
The  act  was  a  rash  one,  but  the  captain  had  cause  to 
imagine  at  the  moment  that  Cozens  had  openly  muti- 
nied, or  was  about  to  mutiny.  This  act  made  an  unfor- 
tunate impression  on  the  minds  of  the  men,  who  found 
food  every  day  growing  more  scarce.  A  few  Indians, 
men  and  women,  of  small  stature,  and  very  swarthy, 
visited  the  party,  and  were  of  service  in  procuring  food; 
but  the  seamen  affronted  their  wives,  and  they  all  went 
away.  "  The  Indians  having  left  us,  and  the  weather 
continuing  tempestuous  and  rainy,  the  distresses  of  the 
people  for  want  of  food  became  insupportable.  Our 
number,  which  was  at  first  one  hundred  and  forty-five, 
was  now  reduced  to  one  hundred,  and  chiefly  by  famine. 
The  pressing  calls  of  hunger  drove    our  men  to  their 


byron's  narrative.  331 

wits'  end,  and  put  them  on  a  variety  of  devices  to 
satisfy  it.  Among  the  ingenious  this  way,  one  Phips, 
a  boatswain's  mate,  having  got  a  water  puncheon, 
scuttled  it;  then  lashing  two  logs,  one  on  each  side, 
set  out  in  quest  of  adventures  in  this  extraordinary  and 
original  piece  of  embarkation."  He  often  got  shell- 
fish and  wild  fowl,  but  had  to  venture  out  far  from 
land,  and  on  one  occasion  was  cast  upon  a  rock,  and 
remained  there  two  days.  A  poor  Indian  dog  belonging 
to  Mr.  Byron,  and  which  had  become  much  attached  to 
him,  was  taken  by  the  men  and  devoured:  and  three 
weeks  after,  its  owner  was  glad  to  search  for  the  paws, 
which  had  been  thrown  aside,  and  of  which,  though 
rotten,  he  made  a  hearty  meal. 

Till  the  24th  of  September,  the  party  continued  in 
this  condition  of  continually  augmenting  wretchedness, 
with  only  one  hope  of  relief  before  them,  and  this  rest- 
ing on  the  long-boat,  which  the  carpenter  was  inces- 
santly working  at,  to  bring  it  into  a  strong  and  safe 
condition.  On  the  day  mentioned,  the  long-boat  being 
nearly  finished,  Mr.  Byron  and  a  small  party  were  sent 
to  explore  the  coast  to  the  southward,  almost  the  whole 
crew  being  resolute  to  make  for  Magellan's  Straits,  al- 
though the  captain  wished  to  go  along  the  coast  to  the 
northward.  In  a  day  or  two,  the  party  returned  to  the 
island  (for  such  was  the  land  on  which  the  wreck  had 
taken  place),  and  the  long-boat  was  immediately  after- 
wards launched,  with  the  cutter  and  barge,  all  of  which 
boats  had  been  saved  at  first.  Eighty-one  men  entered 
these  boats,  being  the  whole  survivors  of  the  party,  with 
the  exception  of  Captain  Cheap  and  two  companions, 
who  remained  voluntarily,  and  for  whose  use  another 
boat,  the  yawl,  was  left.  The  leaving  of  the  captain 
was  a  thing  unexpected  by  Byron  and  some  others,  and 
when  a  necessity  occurred  for  sending  back  the  barge  to 


332  byron's  narrative. 

the  island  for  some  left  canvass,  these  parties  seized  the 
chance  of  going  in  the  boat  to  rejoin  the  captain  and 
share  his  fate.  On  the  21st  of  October,  the  final  sepa- 
ration took  place  between  the  shore  party  and  those  in 
the  long-boat,  who  sailed  for  the  south.  Captain  Cheap 
and  those  who  came  to  him  were  joined  by  a  small  party 
who  had  originally  seceded  from  the  main  body  ;  and 
the  whole  of  this  united  band,  amounting  to  twenty 
men,  set  sail  in  the  barge  and  the  yawl,  towards  the 
north,  on  the  15th  of  December.  Up  to  that  time  they 
contrived,  with  almost  unheard-of  difficulty,  to  subsist 
on  what  they  could  pick  up.  "A  weed  called  slaugh, 
fried  in  the  tallow  of  some  candles  we  had  saved,  and 
wild  celery,  were  our  only  fare,  by  which  our  strength 
was  so  much  impaired  that  we  could  scarcely  crawl." 
One  fine  day,  the  hull  of  the  Wager,  still  sticking  to- 
gether, was  exposed,  and  by  visiting  her  the  party  got 
three  small  casks  of  beef  hooked  up.  This  soon  restored 
to  them  sufficient  strength  for  their  enterprise,  which 
they  undertook  on  the  day  mentioned,  in  the  barge  and 
yawl.  Unhappily,  the  sea  grew  very  tempestuous,  and 
H  the  men  in  the  boats  were  obliged  to  sit  as  close  as 
possible,  to  receive  the  seas  on  their  backs,  and  prevent 
their  filling  us.  We  were  obliged  to  throw  every  thing 
overboard  to  lighten  the  boats,  all  our  beef,  and  even 
the  grapnel,  to  prevent  sinking.  Night  was  coming  on, 
and  we  were  fast  running  on  a  lee-shore,  where  the  sea 
broke  in  a  frightful  manner."  Just  as  every  man  thought 
certain  death  approaching,  an  opening  was  seen  in  the 
rocks,  the  boats  ran  into  it,  and  found  a  haven  as  "smooth 
as  a  mill-pond!" 

The  party  remained  here  four  days,  suffering  much 
from  their  old  enemy,  hunger.  In  passing  farther  along 
the  coast,  which  they  did  at  continual  risk,  they  were 
reduced  to  such  distress  as  to  "  eat  the  shoes  off"  their 


byron's  narrative.  333 

feet,  these  shoes  being  of  raw  seal-skin.  They  never 
knew  what  it  was  to  have  a  dry  thread  about  them, 
and  the  climate  was  very  cold.  During  the  first  few 
weeks  of  their  course,  the  yawl  was  lost,  and  one  man 
drowned  ;  but  what  was  a  more  distressing  consequence, 
they  were  obliged  to  leave  four  men  on  shore,  as  the 
barge  could  not  carry  all.  The  men  did  not  object  to 
being  left ;  they  were  wearied  of  their  lives.  When 
the  poor  fellows  were  left,  u  they  stood  upon  the  beach, 
giving  us  three  cheers,  and  called  out  God  bless  the 
king  !"  They  were  never  heard  of  more  ;  and  it  is  but 
too  probable,  as  Byron  says,  that  they  met  "  a  miserable 
end."  But,  indeed,  every  one  had  now  given  up  hope 
of  ultimate  escape,  and  this  was  shown  by  the  resolu- 
tion taken  almost  immediately  afterwards,  to  "  go  back 
to  Wager's  Island  (the  place  of  shipwreck),  there  to 
linger  out  a  miserable  life."  Eating  nothing  but  sea- 
weed and  tangle  by  the  way,  the  poor  mariners  again 
reached  the  island.  They  were  here  no  better  off.  The 
weather  was  wretchedly  wet,  and  "  wild  celery  was  all 
we  could  procure,  which  raked  our  stomachs  instead  of 
assuaging  our  hunger.  That  dreadful  and  last  resource 
of  men  in  not  much  worse  circumstances  than  ours,  of 
consigning  one  man  to  death  for  the  support  of  the  rest, 
began  to  be  mentioned  in  whispers."  Fortunately  one 
man  found  some  rotten  pieces  of  beef  on  the  sea-shore, 
and  with  a  degree  of  generosity  only  to  be  appreciated 
by  persons  so  placed,  he  shared  it  fairly  with  the  rest. 

This  supply  sustained  the  whole  till  the  arrival  of 
some  Indians,  accompanied  by  a  chief  or  Cacique  from 
the  island  of  Chiloe,  which  lies  in  40  degrees  42  minutes 
of  south  latitude.  This  Cacique  could  speak  a  little 
Spanish,  and  he  agreed  to  conduct  the  party  in  the  barge 
to  the  nearest  Spanish  settlement,  being  to  receive  the 
barge  and  all  its  contents  for  his  trouble       Fourteen  in 


334  byron's  narrative. 

number,  the  wrecked  sailors  again  put  to  sea,  and  were 
conducted  by  their  guide  to  the  mouth  of  a  river,  which 
he  proposed  to  ascend.  But  after  toiling  one  whole  day, 
the  attempt  to  go  up  against  the  current  was  given  over, 
and  they  were  forced  to  try  the  coast  again.  The  se- 
vere day's  work,  conjoined  with  hunger,  caused  the  death 
of  one  of  the  strongest  men  of  the  party,  although  it 
was  thought  that  he  might  have  been  preserved  but  for 
the  inhumanity  of  Captain  Cheap,  who  alone  had  food 
at  the  moment  (got  from  the  Indian),  but  would  not  give 
a  morsel  to  the  dying  man.  This  roused  the  indigna- 
tion of  the  others,  and  the  consequence  was,  that,  while 
others  sought  food  on  shore,  "  six  of  the  men  seized  the 
boat,  put  off,  and  left  us  to  return  no  more.  And  now 
all  the  difficulties  we  had  hitherto  encountered  seemed 
light  in  comparison  of  what  we  expected  to  suffer  from 
the  treachery  of  our  men,  who,  with  the  boat,  had  taken 
away  every  thing  that  might  be  the  means  of  preserv- 
ing our  lives.  Yet  under  these  dismal  and  forlorn  ap- 
pearances was  our  delivery  now  preparing." 

Mr.  Byron  was  now  taken,  with  Captain  Cheap,  by 
the  Indian  guide  to  a  native  village,  whence  he  expected 
to  get  more  assistance  in  conducting  the  party,  who,  if 
they  could  not  recover  the  barge  for  him,  were  to  give 
a  musket  and  some  other  articles  as  a  reward.  On  com- 
ing in  the  evening  to  the  Indian  wigwams,  after  two 
days'  travel,  Mr.  Byron  was  neglected,  and  left  alone. 
Urged  by  want  and  cold,  he  crept  into  a  wigwam  upon 
chance,  and  found  there  two  women,  one  young  and  the 
other  old,  whose  conduct  amply  corroborates  the  well- 
known  and  beautiful  eulogium  passed  by  Ledyard  upon 
the  kindness  of  that  sex  every  where  to  poor  travellers. 
They  saw  the  young  seaman  wet  and  shivering,  and 
made  him  a  fire.  They  brought  out  their  only  food,  a 
large  fish,  and  broiled  it  for  him.     When  he  lay  down 


byron's  narrative.  335 

upon  some  dry  boughs,  he  found,  on  awaking  a  few  hours 
after,  that  the  women  had  gently  covered  him  with  warm 
clothes,  at  the  expense  of  enduring  the  cold  themselves. 
When  he  made  signs  that  his  appetite  was  not  appeased, 
"  they  both  went  out,  taking  with  them  a  couple  of  dogs, 
which  they  train  to  assist  them  in  fishing.  After  an 
hour's  absence,  they  came  in  trembling  with  cold,  and 
their  hair  streaming  with  water,  and  brought  two  fish, 
which,  having  broiled,  they  gave  me  the  largest  share." 
For  a  poor  stranger  they  had  thus  gone  out  in  the  middle 
of  the  night,  plunged  into  the  cold  sea,  and,  with  the 
aid  of  their  nets  or  other  apparatus,  had  got  him  food. 
These  kind  creatures  were  the  wives  of  an  old  Indian, 
wrho  was  then  absent,  but  who,  on  his  return,  struck 
them  with  brutal  violence  for  their  hospitality,  Mr.  Byron 
looking  on  with  impotent  rage  and  indignation.  The 
return  of  this  Indian  and  his  companions  enabled  the 
native  guide  of  Captain  Cheap  and  Byron  to  make  an 
arrangement  for  conducting  the  shipwrecked  party  north- 
ward as  they  wished.  The  captain  and  Byron  then  left 
the  wigwams  to  go  back  to  their  companions,  being 
joined  soon  after  by  a  body  of  Indian  guides. 

It  was  the  middle  of  March  ere  this  final  journey  to 
the  northward  was  begun.  Various  Indian  canoes  con- 
veyed the  whole  party  day  after  day  along  the  sea-coast ; 
shell-fish,  eggs  from  the  rocks,  and  sea-weed,  being  the 
food  of  the  band,  and  even  this  being  procurable  in  such 
miserable  quantities  as  barely  to  sustain  life.  The  con- 
dition of  the  captain  in  this  respect  was  better  than  the 
others,  for  the  Indians  thought  their  reward  safe  if  they 
attended  to  the  chief  of  the  whites  alone,  and  he  cruelly 
encouraged  the  notion.  But  what  but  selfishness  could 
be  expected  from  one  in  the  following  state  : — "  I  could 
compare  Captain  Cheap's  body  to  nothing  but  an  ant- 
hill,  with  thousands  of  vermin  crawling  over  about  it ; 


336  byron's  narrative. 

for  he  was  now  past  attempting  to  rid  himself  in  the 
least  from  this  torment,  as  he  had  quite  lost  himself, 
not  recollecting  our  names  that  were  about  him,  or  even 
his  own.  His  beard  was  as  long  as  a  hermit's,  that 
and  his  face  being  covered  with  train  oil  and  dirt,  from 
his  sleeping,  to  secure  them,  upon  pieces  of  stinking 
seal.  His  legs  were  as  big  as  mill-posts,  though  his 
body  appeared  to  be  nothing  but  skin  and  bone."  The 
rest  were  little  better,  and  Mr.  Byron  had  often  to  strip 
himself  in  the  midst  of  hail  and  snow,  and  beat  his 
clothes  with  stones,  to  kill  the  insects  that  swarmed 
about  him.  At  length,  however,  after  one  of  them  had 
sunk  under  his  sufferings,  the  party  got  to  the  island  of 
Chiloe,  a  place  at  the  north  extremity  of  the  province 
of  Chili,  and  under  the  rule  of  the  Spaniards.  Being 
a  remote  corner,  Chiloe  had  only  a  few  Spaniards  in  it, 
and  these  chiefly  Jesuit  priests,  but  the  Indian  inha- 
bitants were  comparatively  civilized.  The  troubles  of 
the  party  may  be  said  to  have  ended  here,  for  the  natives 
pitied  them  much,  and  supplied  them  with  abundance 
of  food.  "It  is  amazing  that  our  eating  to  that  excess 
we  did,  did  not  kill  us ;  we  were  never  satisfied,  and 
used  to  take  all  opportunities,  for  months  after,  of  filling 
our  pockets  when  we  were  not  seen,  that  we  might  get 
up  two  or  three  times  in  the  night  to  cram  ourselves." 

Even  after  staying  on  the  island  for  a  considerable 
time,  and  being  conveyed  to  the  mainland  to  the  town 
of  Chaco,  where  a  Spanish  governor  resided,  the  eating 
of  the  famished  mariners  continued  to  be  enormous. 
"  Every  house  was  open  to  us  ;  and  though  it  was  but 
an  hour  after  we  had  dined,  they  always  spread  a  table, 
thinking  we  could  never  eat  enough  after  what  we  had 
suffered,  and  we  were  much  of  the  same  opinion."  Mr. 
Byron  made  friends  with  the  governor's  cook,  and  so 
carried  his  pockets  always  full  to  his  apartment,  there 


byron's  narrative.  337 

to  feed  at  leisure.  They  were  in  all  four  in  number 
now,  namely,  Captain  Cheap,  Messrs.  Byron,  Hamilton, 
and  Campbell.  From  Chaco  they  were  taken  to  the 
larger  town  of  Castro,  and  remained  there  for  some 
months  in  the  condition  of  prisoners  at  large,  poorly 
clad,  but  decently  lodged  and  well  fed.  On  the  2d  of 
January,  their  case  having  become  known  to  the  higher 
authorities  of  Chili,  they  were  put  on  board  a  ship  to  be 
conveyed  to  the  city  of  St.  Jago.  Here  they  remained 
two  years,  as  prisoners,  but  not  in  confinement.  For- 
tunately for  them,  a  Scotch  physician,  who  bore  the  name 
of  Don  Patricio  Gedd,  entreated  the  governor  to  allow 
the  captives  to  stay  with  him,  and  for  two  years  this 
generous  man  maintained  them  like  brothers  nearly  at 
his  own  sole  expense.  On  the  20th  of  December,  Cap- 
tain Cheap  and  Messrs.  Byron  and  Hamilton  were  put 
on  board  a  French  vessel  to  be  conveyed  to  Europe; 
Mr.  Campbell,  having  become  a  Catholic,  remained  in 
Chili.  They  reached  France  safely,  and  after  some  de- 
tention there,  were  permitted  to  go  to  Britain,  by  an 
order  from  Spain.  Their  friends  were  much  surprised 
to  see  them,  having  given  them  long  up  for  lost.  Their 
term  of  absence  exceeded  five  years. 

The  six  men  who  cruelly  made  off  with  the  barge 
appear  never  to  have  been  heard  of  again,  and  perished, 
doubtless,  on  the  coast.  The  fate  of  the  more  numerous 
body  who  went  off  to  the  south  in  the  long-boat,  is  known 
from  the  narrative  of  John  Bulkeley,  gunner,  one  of  the 
survivors.  This  band  actually  succeeded  in  rounding 
South  America,  through  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  and 
reached  the  Portuguese  territory  of  Rio  Janeiro,  after 
hardships  equal  to  those  of  the  other  party,  and  which 
reduced  their  numbers  from  nearly  eighty  to  thirty. 
They  reached  the  Rio  Grande  in  January  in  1742.  All 
of  the  thirty,  however,  probably  did  not  see  Britain. 
23 


338  by ron's  narrative, 

On  coming"  to  the  Portuguese  colony  they  found  food, 
friends,  and  countrymen,  and  separated  from  one  another. 
Bulkeley  and  two  others  reached  England  on  the  1st  of 
January  1743. 

The  members  of  this  expedition  went  out  with  the 
hope  of  gathering  gold  at  will  among  the  Spanish  colo- 
nies. What  a  different  fate  befell  the  unhappy  crew  of 
the  Wager  I 


"Htnrrf* 

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